We are thrilled to announce a new partnership between the PT network and Love in a Big World, a research-based social-emotional curriculum and character education movement. For nearly two decades, Project Transformation has delivered consistent results in improving children’s literacy skills during the summer. While we are continually improving our literacy intervention methods, we know that focusing on reading alone will have a limited impact on children’s success. Research overwhelmingly shows that incorporating social-emotional learning not only improves academic achievement, but it also increases prosocial behaviors (such as empathy, kindness, and sharing), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces stress. This partnership will strengthen our ability to improve the social, emotional, and spiritual development of the children participating in Project Transformation’s summer program.

The timing of this partnership is ideal as two new Project Transformation chapters launch this summer (PT Central Texas and PT Pacific Northwest). The national office is excited to work collaboratively with all of our chapter leaders to incorporate this customizable curriculum in Project Transformation’s summer programming. Approximately 2,500 children from 34 low-income communities across seven annual conferences of the United Methodist Church will participate in Project Transformation in summer 2017, which will be led by 300 college-age young adults exploring a call to ministry and service.

Love In A Big World is based on Hawkin’s & Catalano’s risk to resiliency theory and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. It aligns with the CASEL’s (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) five core competencies of self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. We are also proud that this partnership is a faith-based initiative, connecting the character traits with the Bible. The faith content is grounded in Wesleyan theology and has been reviewed by a team of clergy and other experts from the United Methodist Publishing House.

To learn more about Love In A Big World, click here.