While teachers may have their plates too full to add social and emotional subjects into their already-full curriculums, a project started in Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) intends to teach million of U.S. students empathy nonetheless.

Making Care Common, a project of HGSE, is partnering with ClassDojo, an educational product used in two-thirds of U.S. schools, to potentially teach at least one in four U.S. students an empathetic mindset, in turn ensuring that students graduate with a completely well-rounded education.

Research has proven over the years that social and emotional skills are important for a student’s future success in college and career.

"According to the World Economic Forum, emotional intelligence and empathy will be among the top 10 social-emotional skills needed for the 2020 job market. And yet, according to one study, empathy is on the decline, with college students showing a 40% drop in the trait over the past 30 years,” said the company in a statement.

Specifically, the initiative’s empathy training will take the form of an animated video series that includes accompanying discussion topics to be held at class or at home.

The initiative is timed for release at the start of National Bullying Prevention Month. On October 2, the "first video will be available for teachers, parents, and students . . . with the other two following weekly.”

Empathy is "a foundation for acting ethically, for strong relationships, and for professional success. It's also key to preventing bullying and many other forms of cruelty. We're excited that this video series will convey that message to younger children on a large scale in a fun and accessible format,” said Richard Weissbourd, EdD, faculty director of Making Caring Common and senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in a statement.

Last school year, ClassDojo launched its first original series designed to "help teachers and parents bring transformative ideas into the classroom and home” by specifically teaching about having a growth mindset. According to the company, it was able to reach one in four U.S. students since its debut, meaning it will have a promising audience for its second series.

Read more about ClassDojo’s partnership with HGSE here.

Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

9/22/2016

Related Resources:

• App Teaches Learners the Important Skill of Empathy
• Wire Side Chats: Ways to Teach Empathy Skills 
• Compassion and Empathy: School Climate Essentials