Building Empathy and Connectivity in the Classroom
Social Awareness and Relationship Skills are two of the Core Competencies of Social Emotional Learning as defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning as identified by CASEL.
Empathy is the glue that holds these two competencies together and allows us to connect with compassion for others through awareness of self. Our ability to teach empathy as well as embed in in our pre-existing pedagogy is necessary for a well-rounded educational experience and vital to healthy students, schools and communities.
This experiential and interactive workshop will expose participants to the science of empathy and offer experiential tools and activities that can be used immediately with students or clients to build and practice empathy.
Learning Objectives:
Jeff Frigon is the Youth & Student Programs Coordinator for The Browne Center for Innovative Learning and an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of New Hampshire. He holds a B.S. in Outdoor Education & Psychology and an M.S. in Experiential Education & has been delivering adventure-based experiential programming since 1994. Over the course of his career, Jeff has taught the classrooms and backcountry settings with a wide spectrum of students including at-risk youth and traditional K-College-aged participants. Most recently, Jeff’s focus has been working with schools: Teachers, Parents, Students, and Administrators, to build healthy climate and culture by focusing on empathy and connection. Outside of work, Jeff is an endurance athlete, participating in long-distance cycling, skate-skiing, and Stand Up Paddleboarding events.
