SEL Curriculum
As a district, social and emotional learning opportunities are embedded into all of our practices. We strengthen these opportunities with explicit, directed lessons that stress the importance of social and emotional skills.
Utilizing two curricula, Caring School Communities and Second Step, we strive to equip our scholars with a toolkit of skills to handle a variety of situations they may encounter while in school and throughout their lives.
Caring School Community
Caring School Community is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning program that builds school-wide community, develops scholars’ social skills, and enables a transformative stance on discipline.
GRPS is implementing Caring School Community for all K-5 and K-8 schools during the 2023-2024 school year.
Second Step
Second Step Middle School is a first-of-its-kind social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that’s modern, web-based, and responsive to the needs of today’s scholars and educators.
GRPS is implementing Second Step for all comprehensive Middle Schools during the 2023-2024 school year.
Wayfinder
Wayfinder is a K–12 curriculum designed to help students build essential life skills such as self-awareness, decision-making, goal setting, and collaboration. Rooted in real-world application, it offers age-appropriate lessons that encourage students to reflect, connect with others, and take purposeful action. With built-in tools for monitoring student well-being and progress, Wayfinder supports educators in fostering engaged, confident, and adaptable learners prepared for life beyond the classroom.
The Wayfinder curriculum is currently being piloted in 4 of our High Schools: CA Frost Middle High School, Museum High School, Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy, and Ottawa Hills High School
