Student Wellbeing
The Importance of Social Emotional Learning
SEL, or Social Emotional Learning, is a foundational cornerstone of Khan Lab School education. In a broad sense, SEL is the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions within yourself and in others. The capability to understand and manage your emotions has a huge effect on your academic success. As the educational community has started to see the importance of mental health due to stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide at an all time high, we as a community believe that our focus on teaching SEL is vital. Helping a student develop at an emotional level allows them more control over their emotions, allowing them to reach higher levels of academic success. Students who receive SEL instruction showed a 10% reduction in emotional distress.
Project Wayfinder
Khan Lab School utilizes Project Wayfinder as an overarching guide. Founded at Stanford University in 2017, Project Wayfinder has seen proven success in three key areas: purpose, engagement, and social awareness. The myth behind belonging is that it’s an inherent talent, one that students are born with, when in actuality, it’s the complete opposite. Belonging is a skill that needs to be developed, as it doesn’t just magically happen. Project Wayfinder strives to help students learn that skill and develop their own with the hopes of using those skills to develop on their own.
Advisory
The Advisory program at Khan Lab School was designed as a part of the school vision and philosophy to care for the child by building community and a sense of self. With a goal to support SEL and executive function while building community, students meeting in small groups led by a member of faculty follow the Wayfinder curriculum together at least twice a week. As Advisory aims to be a safe space, students are encouraged to share and develop their feelings and emotions together.