Bringing research-based strategies to enrich home, school, and community social environments to improve children’s outcomes

Where and How We are Raised Influence Who We Become

Promoting Brain Development and Learning through Enriched Environments

Brain Structure & Development
1. Brain cells & how they communicate
 2. Parts of the brain
3. Brain development-birth to adult

Enriched Environments & Their Effects
1. Definition of Enriched Environments
 2. Types of Enriched Environments
3. Effects of Enriched Environments on the brain, learning, and behavior

Building Enriched Environments
1. Relationships that promote safety, respect, belonging, support, autonomy
 2. Rich,varied, differentiated resources
3. Focus on whole child development

Understanding Place and Social Environments

Defining Place
1. Why It Takes a Village
 2. What We Mean by Place
 3. Places that Shape our Lives More

Understanding Place through Expressions
1. Know your place
2. It is not my place to say
3. You have a place in my heart. More

Different Ways We Experience Place
1. Gender affects our experiences
2. Ethnicity affects our experiences
3. Age affects our experiences More

Aspects of the Social Environment
1. The natural environment, the built environment, social and cultural setting
2. Social media, mass media, and the virtual world
3. The interaction of physical features, personal qualities, and cultural characteristics with all actual and virtual environments

How Social Environments Affect Youth

Social Environments and Behavior 1. The need to adapt
 2. Behavior as self-expression
3. Behavior as self-preservation

Social Environments and Success
   1. Impact on Career choice
 2. Effect on Talent development
3. Influence on Academic success

Social Environments and Learning
1. Social Environments shape the brain.
 2. Brain structure affects interactions.
3. Interactions affect drive and learning.

Social Environments and Stress
   1. Social Environments affect stress level
 2. How stress shows up in the body
3. How stress shows up in behavior

Social Environments and Health
1. Location and Interactions affect mood.
 2. Mood affects resistance to disease.
3. Mood can affect mental health.

Social Environments Have Weight
1. The load of obstacles to achieving goals
2. Negative versus positive experiences
3. Pressure of environment on sense of self

Improving Youth Outcomes Through Highly Effective Social Environments

Transforming the Environment
1. Providing Safety
 2. Promoting positive Self-worth
3. Inspiring Sense of Purpose

Understanding and affecting Policy
   1. Policies affect youth
 2. Experiences influence values
3. Values translate into policies

  Embracing Your Power
   1. Owning your expertise
2. Collaborating for maximum effect
3. Engaging with your child’s school

The SEALS Framework for Creating Highly Effective Social Environments
In this presentation, participants will name the five elements of the SEALS Framework, and identify factors that help or hinder their use in improving relationships in the home, school, and community. We a) describe the SEALS Framework and its scientific basis, b) engage participants in self-reflection activities using SEALS, and c) engage participants in activities that show how SEALS can be used to change perceptions and improve relationships.

SEALS

Power Of Place