photo by Linda Camardo
photo by Linda Camardo

You’ve got to find a way to pay for it, to make it happen–and it may mean sacrificing in some other area, I’m sure it does. But once you find that way, the expense is there…but the dividends far, far outweigh whatever the program costs.

James Welsch, Ed. D., Principal, Great Neck South Middle School

“What you ladies have done for my boys’ self-esteem and confidence is truly remarkable. Not only I, but the young ladies of the future thank you!”

Star Wahnon, Assistant Principal, Mulligan Middle School, Central Islip

“One of my fifth grade students had a hard time making friends. When ballroom started, it really just transformed who he was. Every week he was slowly building confidence and standing up straighter. He now is playing with other students, engaging in conversations or choosing to sit at lunch tables with kids that he never had before.”

Principal

What is Social and Emotional Learning?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, qualities, and skills necessary to:

  • Understand and manage emotion
  • Set and achieve positive goals
  • Feel and show empathy for others
  • Establish and maintain positive relationships
  • Make responsible decisions

—CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)

Why does Emotional Intelligence (EI) matter?

  • A study of 286 different kinds of jobs at dozens of organizations worldwide found that 21 competencies distinguished rising stars from average performers.
  • 18 of those competencies were based on emotional intelligence

—Spencer & Spencer, 1993

Research

Dancing Classrooms Global called upon ArtsResearch to conduct a two-year study to evaluate the SEL effects of our program on 5th grade students. While the anecdotal evidence of Dancing Classrooms’ impact from administrators, teachers and parents has been overwhelmingly positive, here are some of the quantitative results from this research study:

93% of students demonstrated achievement in cooperative skills
95% of students demonstrated engagement of motivation
88% of students demonstrated self-discipline and focus
71% of students demonstrated improvements in social confidence
93% of teachers observed improvement in students’ self-confidence
83% of teachers reported that their students improved self-discipline and self-control

Contact us if you’d like to receive the full study.