International Reach | Committee for Children

For more than two decades, we’ve partnered with like-minded organizations to provide culturally adapted versions of Second Step® social-emotional learning (SEL) programs for schools around the world. Today, Committee for Children continues to be at the forefront of a global movement to bring SEL into the fabric of education worldwide. Our international partners are leading SEL advocates in their countries, providing teachers with the training they want and schools with the resources they need to help the world grow kinder.

An Emphasis on Early Learning

Adapted versions of our preschool-age programs, Second Step® Early Learning and Second Step® Elementary for Kindergarten, provide educators and children in Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Sweden, and Turkey with an effective approach to developing children’s self-regulation and social-emotional competence.

Government-Backed Initiatives

Recent initiatives that support the implementation of our Second Step programs in various countries and contexts include:

Brazil: In collaboration with our in-country partner, Instituto Vila Educação, and the São Paulo Department of Education, students throughout the state will learn SEL with an adapted version of our program, integrated into the public school curriculum.

Lithuania: With financing from the European Social Fund, our partner, Paramos vaikams centras, currently provides training and curricula to more than 40 schools, reaching an estimated 4,000 students.

Mexico: More than 75,000 students in highly vulnerable neighborhoods in San Luis Potosí have benefitted from our donation of program resources and training. Initially offered as part of that state’s Ministry of Education initiative Ruta de Mejora, Second Step programs continue strong in schools across this region.

Panama: United Way Panama, in coordination with the National Secretary of Childhood, Adolescence, and Family (SENNIAF) and funded by the European Union, provided preschools and primary schools with versions of our SEL program as part of their Crecer en Comunidad initiative. More than 100 teachers and 2,500 children continue to benefit from this program implementation.

Supporting International Campaigns

We strive to support public service campaigns in various countries. Captain Compassion®, our bullying prevention champion, empowers kids in Bulgaria through a partnership with Funtazia. Other collaborations include the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Education for Justice, the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children’s Education Portal, Australia’s Telethon Kids, and Center Dardedze in Latvia.