Connecting Emotions

The foundation has developed the Connecting Emotions program because children and teenagers in vulnerable communities face significant challenges. According to the “Alianza por la Niñez Colombiana” (2020) report, emotions such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, and low self-esteem are the ones children face and the most difficult to identify in family and school environments.

Furthermore, problems such as low expectations about their future and lack of opportunities to access higher education are breeding grounds for depression and suicide.

Hence, it’s necessary for educative communities to offer safe spaces for children to talk about their emotions, express themselves and continue their educational process.

Thus, the program seeks to promote positive visions of themselves among students, teachers, and families. Likewise, it fosters positive images of their future, while promoting positive experiences and achieving goals to strengthen their sense of personal responsibility.

Components

That is to say, the program includes the following components:

Firstly, Hand-in-hand direct work with students to offer them opportunities for knowledge and practice of socioemotional skills.

Secondly, Integration with the academic curricula to generate a shared vision favoring the programs’ sustainability in the short, medium, and long term, while involving the educative community.

Thirdly, Cooperation to team up with families, parents, and caregivers. Working aligned with the community allows us to recognize the value of socioemotional skills in integral human development. Moreover, it encourages the practice of socioemotional skills in the family context.

Finally, the project develops a medium and long-term approach that promotes a culture of fostering a positive vision and a sense of personal responsibility for its members.