Building Social Skills On & Offline

This year, students in Grades 5 to 8 have been taking part in #WinAtSocial, a program designed by The Social Institute and intended to help young people “navigate their social world — including social media and technology — to fuel their health, happiness, and future success.”  Students in Grades 5 to 8 take part in weekly activities through #WinatSocial, and by empowering students to navigate social media, technology, and well-being in positive, high-character ways, #WinAtSocial helps students learn how to make their devices work for them, and not the other way around. 

In gamified lessons designed for the middle school ages, #WinatSocial focuses on seven social standards over the course of the school year (play to your core, protect your privacy like you’re famous, strike a balance, cyberback, find your influencers, use your mic for good, and handle the pressure) Each lesson involves one or more opportunities for a “huddle,” which is a guided discussion based on the day’s lesson. Huddle prompts are also available for parents and provide great starting points to bring up complex issues with children at home. Click here to view huddles from September and October. 

The Social Institute also provides resources and events for parents. On Thursday, November 17, from 4:00-4:45 pm, there will be a webinar for parents featuring Dr. Catherine Pearlman, founder of The Family Coach and author of First Phone: A Child’s Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette, focused on equipping students with habits and skills they need to handle pressure on and offline, the importance of self-care and why it matters to students, and best practices for student use of devices. Dr. Pearlman will share a variety of approaches to fit both students - and adults. Click here to register and here to join the webinar.