Senate Resolution No. 1651
BY: Senator MAYER
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
March 2, 2026, as Social Emotional Learning Day in
the State of New York
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official days that are set aside to increase awareness of serious issues
that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2, 2026, as Social
Emotional Learning (SEL) Day in the State of New York, in conjunction
with the observance of International SEL Day; and
WHEREAS, Social emotional learning (SEL) is the process through
which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and
achieve personal and collective goals, feel, and show empathy for
others, establish, and maintain supportive relationships, and make
responsible and caring decisions; and
WHEREAS, Essential to success in our schools, workplaces, homes, and
communities, SEL competencies develop throughout our lives and allow
individuals to contribute meaningfully to society; and
WHEREAS, With awareness for SEL on the rise, top companies are
beginning to emphasize the importance of social and emotional skills;
success for the next generation of employees and entrepreneurs requires
self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making; and
WHEREAS, Results from a landmark meta-analysis show that SEL
interventions that addressed the five core competencies of
self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills,
and responsible decision-making, increased academic performance by 11%,
improved students' ability to manage stress, and improved attitudes
about self, others, and school; and
WHEREAS, Research suggests that evidence based SEL programs are more
effective when they include strategies for family and community
engagement; and
WHEREAS, Cost-benefit research shows that for every dollar spent on
SEL, there is an $11 return on investment; and
WHEREAS, Research shows that investments in evidence based SEL
programs can lead to improved educational achievement and long-term
benefits to society; and
WHEREAS, Community members should be encouraged to learn about and
share their knowledge of the importance and impact of integrating
evidence based SEL into our schools, organizations and community as our
Nation progresses today; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of
this serious issue, and more must be done to increase activity at the
local, State, and national levels; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2, 2026, as Social
Emotional Learning (SEL) Day in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; and SEL4NY.
