A brand-new Durham Public Schools website for students, educators, and families will connect the entire Durham community to resources supporting their social and emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

CLICK HERE to watch the Embrace introduction video

The EMBRACE Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Hub at embrace.dpsnc.net, launched with the support of FHI 360 and other partner organizations, includes sections for students, caregivers, and DPS staff on subjects ranging from mindfulness to anti-racism, from finding one’s core purpose to overcoming trauma.

In addition, the EMBRACE SEL Hub includes ideas for teams to support DPS’s Wellness Wednesdays project. During this period of heightened need and virtual learning, DPS has committed a whole day during the school week for activities that support wellbeing.

“Our mission is to embrace, educate, and empower every student, and our Strategic Plan prioritizes providing a safe school environment supporting the whole child,” said DPS Superintendent Pascal Mubenga. “When our students and staff cannot be together in the same school buildings, we must work even harder to support their mental and emotional health.”

DPS was assisted in creating the EMBRACE SEL Hub by the Durham-based international nonprofit FHI 360, which partners with governments, the private sector, and civil society to bring about positive social change and to provide lifesaving health care, quality education, and opportunities for meaningful economic participation. “FHI 360 was an exceptional thought partner and was instrumental in providing technical design expertise, as our DPS team worked through the content and organization of the platform,” said Dr. Christopher Soto, DPS’s Social-Emotional and Mental Health Coordinator.

The EMBRACE SEL Hub is in its early stages, with additional resources and Spanish language translations on the way.