S-Cool Days Program

Mental health problems, lack of skills in handling difficult emotions, and lack of motivation toward learning in the classroom are present, yet untackled issues. Since COVID we have a feeling that it should be handled asap. Yet those feelings are invisible, hard to start handling for a teacher. 2. The solution is a module-based program that converts those feelings into tangible figures. The new "classmates" and routines set up a self-sustaining, positive communication platform between kids, teachers, parents. 3. The pilot program runs in 3 school types: a public school, a school start-up in Hungary, and the American School of Las Palmas in Spain. In the 3 locations, we cover different age groups, diverse socio-economic backgrounds, &nationalities; teachers with distinct professional backgrounds & teaching styles. The results are positive in each classroom environment, in each school. Anger nearly disappears. I take it as an indicator for successful global scalability.

The problem's scale is global, affecting nearly any learning community regardless of social status, age, or nationality. The "Call for solutions" says: the pandemic has upended entire education systems, with an estimated 1.5 billion primary and secondary learners'. The learner's engagement in any learning environment (physical, híbrid or remote) starts with establishing the right mindset and willingness to develop – in his/her head. COVID times pushed away every child from his/her comfort zone. When out of comfort zone, fear becomes present, and the reptilian brain of the mind switches on. The reptilian brain, until on, blocks the pre-frontal lobe, the part responsible for learning, and enables only three different reactions: fight/flight/ freeze. Kids might struggle with returning to the classroom (flight); if they have to, anger expression might become more intense (fight) or might experience a lack of motivation (freeze). Teaching and learning are hard to happen among these circumstances. Teachers, parents, and kids equally suffer. These problems occur in the classroom, in the education system yet have a psychological origin. They are present in nearly any classroom globally; therefore, handling them requires a systemic approach, not only a one-time happy activity.

S-Cool Days is a module-based program that gives teachers tools to make tangible and handle negative emotions and other "invisible classmates" that more and more times ruin the ambient in the classroom. These tools are extremely useful in post-COVID classrooms, as the mental health of the children has been damaged in many cases, yet that this damage is as invisible as the negative emotions. By using those tools children can visualize emotions, teachers will have a clear view of how the individual kids came that morning to the (virtual or real) class.
The process: 
1. Online training of the module for the teachers (methodology)

2. Online DIY workshop for the teachers (they create the tool which was introduced to them during the online training)

3. Online training for the teachers on how to start introducing the tools in the classroom.

Technology - S-Cool Days is in the Prototype phase. It was introduced in schools but based on traditional presential training. Technology will be needed to scale the program, to make it eligible for any teacher willing to participate. At the moment we only have the web page, (www.scooldays.org). There will be a platform needed with English-speaking videos available for download.

The solution serves teachers, as it gives them literally tangible tools to handle the currently present, yet invisible "classmates", emotions like anger, temper, mindset, etc. These problems have psychological origins yet cause problems to teachers while trying to educate. In the after COVID classroom (let it be virtual or presential) teachers suffer from a lack of tools to handle the increased emotional reactions of kids, and their families (e.g. extreme fear of getting infected, etc.). My tools ('Temper Volcano', 'Mood Thermometer', the 'Learning Button', etc.) can be made and used in the classroom. Using them serve children as it enables them to express their discomfort without the necessity of break out or show any odd behavior. In fact, using the tools gives them back the control of their emotions, and by doing so, the process leads to a significant decrease in tension in the classroom. The tools serve as a common symbol for both adults and children. By setting up a system of mutually accepted symbols, and adding routines that make the use of those symbols inevitable, we set up a common communication platform, where both teachers and kids are free to express their emotions in a tangible manner instead of letting them erupt. Attention takes over the roles of tension and detention in the classroom. The learning environment is set up, teachers may start educating, their original job and purpose in the classroom. 

In my vision, S-Cool Days Program, my solution is an ultimate resource for teachers willing to build the 21st century, motivating learning environment in class -  like the Scratch program of MIT in programming. The central source which describes the first steps of

handling negative emotions in the classroom, 

creating a supportive in-class community, and

building motivation for self-development.

To reach that goal the program consists of 4 "theoretical " lectures about what to do differently in the classroom, followed by DIY lessons where participants create their own tools.

Technology comes into the picture in order to reach a global presence there is a need for a platform for the teachers to reach out for resources and come back with their concerns, questions.

During the years we have experienced, that children bring home these tools and start educating their parents. In one of the schools, it happened so often, that not only children, but their parents have started to show the expected new (supporting) behavior towards their children and even towards the teachers. The interaction among the 3 parties has significantly been changed in a good way and could be maintained during the COVID era as well.

The solution serves the teacher population, as it provides tangible tools to handle invisible mental health problems. The system we suggest to apply the tools in enables teachers to maintain the mentally healthy ambient in class. Yet the tools serve the children, as they are the ones whose behaviour will dramatically change by using the tools in their peer interactions and learning to control their own negative emotions on the way. We experience that children bring home the same tools (e.g. temper volcano) from the class, use them with parents, therefore the program includes strategies for parental support as well.

I have tested the tools with more than 1000 children during summer camps in Hungary. There are 3 schools where we tested the entire S-Cool Days Program: Korosi Csoma Sandor Altalnos Iskola, Hungary, Budapest School, Hungary (a School startup founded by former PREZI founder, Peter Halacsy), and in the American School of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain. A detailed description of the project and the research was presented at the MIT LINC Conference in 2019 and the paper can be found here: https://easychair.org/publications/paper/Stzp.

The content of the S-Cool Days Progam is ready, we have good feedback from teachers, children, and parents as well. Yet, the technology part, which would allow scaling for international level is missing, as the program until now was only financed by the founder, Ildiko Gyori. Now external resource was involved.

I expect the solution to re-write how children are handled in schools. Children spend the majority of their daily time in school, more hours than with their families. Therefore the classroom environment is crucial in raising the next generation of children. Taking into consideration that more and more children suffer from trauma, adverse childhood experience, ADHD, bullying, cyber-bullying, COVID-related fear, and other life situations, the classroom environment could be the only place where they can release a bit from their real-life challenges. I haven't seen a child, who wouldn't want to do things right, I haven't met an educator, who wouldn't want the children under their supervision to thrive. Yet I have met a lot of educators feeling hopeless and toolless by handling the real-life situations which arrive with the children into the classroom every day. These problems are at a systemic level, and to handle them effectively, they need to be treated with systemic solutions. These problems have a psychological origin and need to be fixed by processes, tools with the same origin Pleaseand the recently over-utilized detention is not any of them. Instead of telling what is wrong, my Program creates Role Models of how to do it right. It is innovative in this respect. It is based on coaching, neuroscience, and psychology. By using simple symbols, and making the invisible visible and tangible for the children, they experience a sense of control about their life again. This is where their long-lasting, magical transformation starts.

Current Number of kids (at school and out of school)

170-200

Number of children in 1 year

200-1000

Number of children in 5 years

1000-5000

By the number of teachers we can involve, and by the number of children who we cover by these teachers.

At the moment - Full time myself, volunteers during summer, part-time full year1 person, part-time summer 15

I am a psychologist and worked 20 years in the strategic consulting business creating company structures, reward, and motivation systems. That is where my systemic approach comes from. I have first met school struggles when my son entered elementary education. The S-Cool Days Program has started 5 years ago.

My team consists of psychologists and educators, and every year we train students for the methodology.

And at last, but not at least, we learn from the children whom we work with every year.

Diversity: We have people from different age groups, from different locations with different socio-economic backgrounds.

Inclusion and mutual support are two of the main values in the team. It is backed up with a special onboarding program.

This year I would like to partner with schools where we could reach teachers from all around the world.