At TAF, we see social-emotional learning (SEL) competency as part of the bigger picture of setting students up for success in the world. SEL cultivates intentional citizens that work together to solve complex issues, building confidence in students and encouraging them to use their unique skills.

Transformation Coach Sarah Frisbie shares how this is a core tenet in the STEMbyTAF approach, “Students already come with skills…and we’re trying to grow those skills. We’re also trying to embed those soft skills […] how to ask for help, how to collaborate, how to problem-solve.”

Students at TAF’s TransformED partner school, First Creek Middle School in Tacoma, are a prime example of how successful this approach is at engaging students in the classroom. 8th graders in Ms. Sweet’s class partnered with Northwest Furniture Bank, a local non-profit that supports low-income families with free furniture. Haley Haynes, director of development for Northwest Furniture Bank, enlisted students to create a prototype of a chair for toddlers to auction off during their annual fundraiser.

According to Ms. Sweet, the project hit close to home for many of these young students. “We’re in a group where kids have experienced homelessness, or they know somebody who has. [Working] with Northwest Furniture Bank and their mission and vision is huge. It builds empathy.”

Given creative freedom to work closely together on a lesson connected to real and immediate problems impacting their community, student innovation exploded. Together, they built rocking chairs, fidget spinner arm-rest attachments, and cabinets for toy storage – all crafted from recycled cardboard. The final prototypes were auctioned off to directly support Northwest Furniture. Haynes, who collaborated with students throughout the process, says of the experience, “[This project] is a huge reminder of…why experiential learning is so important, and how it’s going to have a lasting impact on these kids. It’ll have a lasting impact for me.”