Stronger Minds, Happier Hearts: How SEL/SEE Elevates Learning
What if children learning to regulate their emotions helped them perform better in the classroom? What if students practicing mindfulness led to higher test scores in reading and math? A recent study conducted by educational researchers, including Christiana Cipriano, an associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center, shows that integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can indeed lead to higher test scores in core subjects and may be one of the most powerful tools for schools and families today.
What Is SEL?
According to Yale Medicine, “Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of others. Social emotional learning refers to a process in which children acquire emotional intelligence, develop empathy for others, and learn problem-solving skills.”
SEL takes many forms in educational settings, from structured curriculum-based programs to teachers independently incorporating SEL strategies throughout the day. Regardless of the format, one thing remains consistent: children who engage in SEL show benefits across the social, emotional, and even academic domains.
Today, as young people face rising stress, social pressures, and academic challenges, SEL is no longer just a “nice-to-have”; it’s becoming an essential part of childhood development.
What Are Studies Showing?
A major study examining the effects of various SEL programs reviewed 40 previous studies published between 2008 and 2020, including more than 33,700 students across 12 countries. These programs ranged from standardized SEL curricula to school- or district-developed approaches.
The research comes at a critical time for the U.S. education system, where reading and math scores have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The findings from the study were encouraging:
- Students who received explicit SEL instruction, taught as its own subject, experienced an average increase of 4.2 percentile points in test scores compared to students who did not participate in SEL.
- Literacy scores improved by 6.3 percentile points, and math scores rose by 3.8 percentile points.
- Schools that fully embraced SEL saw an average expected increase of 8.4 percentile points, enough to raise a school’s overall rating significantly, for example, from a “C” to a “B,” or a “B” to an “A.”
These results highlight something educators have long sensed: when children feel safe, supported, and emotionally grounded, they are better positioned to learn. SEL doesn’t distract from academics; it strengthens them.
Beyond SEL: Introducing SEE Learning
While traditional social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses mainly on helping children understand and manage their emotions, build relationships, and make responsible decisions — skills that already show a strong correlation with improved academic performance — we at Camp Tuku believe there is a deeper layer: the ethical heart. That’s why we embrace SEE Learning® (Social, Emotional, and Ethical learning developed at Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics (CCSCBE) in partnership with global educators), which adds compassion, ethical discernment, systems-thinking, and a sense of shared responsibility to the mix. SEE transforms SEL from ‘help me do well in school’ into ‘help me become a compassionate, caring, resilient human being.’ It aligns perfectly with our “mind-body-heart” philosophy, nurturing not just learners, but leaders, community members, and world-citizens who know how to care for themselves, others, and the planet.
How Is SEL/SEE Incorporated at Camp Tuku?
At Camp Tuku, our mission is to integrate SEE learning and mindfulness practices into our campers’ daily routines. Campers learn to identify emotions, show compassion toward themselves and others, and build a sense of community. Each morning begins with a camp-wide gathering where the daily theme is introduced. Throughout the day, campers practice mindfulness in various activities.
Before dinner, campers meet in smaller, age-based groups with their counselors for hands-on, interactive experiences that help them learn to apply mindfulness in daily life.
SEE at Camp Tuku isn’t limited to designated mindfulness time. Every activity, from dance to innovation, pet care to chef’s table, requires campers to problem-solve, collaborate, and support one another to achieve shared goals. Throughout the week, campers also learn a variety of “help now” strategies to help them return to their resilient zone.
How Can My Camper Take What They Learn Back With Them?
One of the many benefits of Camp Tuku is that campers leave with more than happy memories; they leave with a practical “toolbox” they can use long after summer ends.
Children return home with skills that help them:
- Self-regulate during stressful or overwhelming moments
- Communicate their needs more clearly.
- Handle conflict in healthier ways.
- Stay focused during class.
- Build empathy for peers, teachers, and family members.
- Navigate social challenges with more confidence.
Classrooms often place children in challenging or uncomfortable situations, such as taking tests, working with unfamiliar peers, presenting in front of a
group, or tackling challenging assignments. With SEL tools in hand, children are better equipped to manage these moments. Instead of melting down or shutting down, they can breathe, regroup, and keep going.
These skills don’t just improve school performance; they strengthen every part of a child’s daily life, from friendships to family interactions to extracurricular activities.
Where Learning Meets Life Skills
Social, Emotional. and Ethical Learning is profoundly beneficial for children of all ages, improving not only test scores but also confidence, resilience, relationships, and overall well-being. Yet not every school has SEL built into its curriculum — and many children miss out on the chance to develop these essential tools.
Camp Tuku bridges that gap by offering a joyful, hands-on environment where learning feels natural and growth happens every day. Through mindfulness practices, outdoor exploration, creative activities, and community-building experiences, campers strengthen the very life skills that help them thrive both in and out of the classroom.
At Camp Tuku, your child doesn’t just enjoy an unforgettable summer — they discover practical tools and inner strengths they’ll carry with them long after camp ends. It’s where learning truly meets life, and where one summer can spark lasting confidence, resilience, and happiness.
Sources
Ha, Chunghee, M. F. McCarthy, M. J. Strambler, and C. Cipriano.
“Disentangling the Effects of Social and Emotional Learning Programs on Student Academic Achievement Across Grades 1–12: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Review of Educational Research, 2025, https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543251367769
MacMillan, Carrie.
“Why ‘Social and Emotional Learning’ Is So Important for Kids Right Now.” Yale Medicine, 6 Nov. 2020, www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-emotional-child-development.
Prothero, Arianna.
“Social-Emotional Learning Linked to Higher Math and Reading Test Scores.” Education Week, 21 Oct. 2025, www.edweek.org/leadership/social-emotional-learning-linked-to-higher-math-and-reading-test-scores/2025/10.
Turner, Cory.
“Research Shows Social-Emotional Learning Can Boost Grades and Test Scores.” WXXI News, 23 Oct. 2025, www.wxxinews.org/2025-10-23/research-shows-social-emotional-learning-can-boost-grades-and-test-scores.
About Camp Tuku
Camp Tuku is where nature meets joyful minds! Camp Tuku provides a mindfulness-based summer camp experience aimed at empowering children and teens with essential skills to support positive self-awareness, inner resilience, and health coping strategies. With a holistic focus on mind, heart, and body, Camp Tuku’s unique curriculum helps bolster kids’ social and emotional wellbeing, empowering them to be better able to navigate difficult emotions and proactively respond to the inevitable challenges life can bring their way. Launched in late 2019 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Camp Tuku serves a diverse group of youth at locations in Arizona and New York State. http://www.camptuku.org
About SEE Learning
SEE Learning™ provides a comprehensive framework for the cultivation of social, emotional and ethical competencies and is in use in K–12 education, higher education, and professional education. Initiated as a pilot program in 2015, SEE Learning has been implemented in programs and institutions across the U.S. and internationally. Over 800 educators in various countries have attended SEE Learning workshops, helping to enhance and refine its pedagogical framework and contribute to the development of curricula and programs for different settings.
https://seelearning.emory.edu/
About The Emory Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics
With a vision of “a compassionate and ethical world for all,” the Center focuses on research, programming, and curriculum development for educating both heart and mind. Evidence-based programs utilize a theoretical framework that teaches competencies to support flourishing and well-being for individuals and societies.
