Social-emotional learning and career development in elementary settings

During the past two decades, youth-focused professionals have increasingly called for social-emotional learning (SEL) education in schools. A holistic approach to youth development suggests that, given the interconnected nature of development in the domains of career development and SEL, children and youth are better supported whenwe provide education in both domains in an integrated way. An opportunity exists to examine possible links between the two domains. In this paper we integrate a model of SELwith models of childhood career development competencies and career-related reasoning, offering a new understanding of how social-emotional experiences and competencies are integrated into children’s career development processes. We identify strategies for educators to incorporate this integrated model into their classroom practices.