Conference for Social-Emotional Character Development in Serbia: Promoting Character-Building in Schools

In December, Childhood Education International gathered with teachers, school staff, and colleagues from the Center for Interactive Pedagogy (CIP Centar) for a conference in Belgrade, Serbia. They were joined by representatives from the Ministry of Education of Serbia, Save the Children Western Balkans, UNICEF, the University of Belgrade, the the Institute for the Improvement of Education and Upbringing.

During a two-day period, more than 80 stakeholders and participants discussed and reviewed the outcomes of the two-and-a-half-year-long program Social-emotional Character Development in Primary Schools: A Community of Practice Framework, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.   

Community-Wide, Human-Centered Solutions 

Conference participants attending a presentation.

At the event, schools shared insights on their communities of practice and participatory action research. They also discussed how they worked together to solve issues in their schools and came up with solutions by using a community-wide, human-centered approach. 

Schools also shared plans for how they will continue to integrate Social-Emotional Character Development (SECD), also known as Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), for continued professional capacity-building and for strengthening students’ social-emotional competencies and behavior at school. 

“The knowledge and skills I’ve gained over the past two years have allowed me to implement these concepts effectively in all the classes and seminars I have attended,” said Mirjana, one of the teachers from a participating school in Pančevo, Serbia. “The feedback from the children after each workshop was positive and helpful, motivating me to continue working and learning. The atmosphere in the classroom was productive for both learning and building reassuring relationships.” 

Improved Performance, Inclusion, and Governance 

Research partners from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy presented research results from the program. They found that when schools built their capacities to understand and use SECD (SEL), this led to stronger academic performance, greater social inclusion, and more use of democratic values and governance at schools and homes. 

Moreover, teachers and school staff felt more confident in building students’ social-emotional skills and talking to other colleagues about how they were feeling in the profession. Students showed growth in their decision-making skills, as well as how they viewed themselves and included others.   

“In nurturing the social-emotional character of our children and fostering communities of practice, we build bridges of acceptance and understanding,” said Boris Spasić, Executive Director of CIP Centar in Belgrade, Serbia. “Our evaluations have shown us the power of these efforts regarding the higher sensitivity of students to the concepts of social justice and equity and subsequently the heartwarming embrace of peers from vulnerable groups. Together, we create a world where every child feels seen, valued, and accepted. “ 

Indeed, the overall program has widely benefitted schools and children alike, and the conference was a forum for gathering these schools to share in how social-emotional character building is vital across more and more schools. 

Horizontal Learning & Learning Exchange 

Throughout the conference, teachers and school staff were engaged and receptive to learning from each other, thus continuing the horizontal learning exchange and communities of practice that they have been conducting throughout the program period. 

Horizontal learning and giving teachers and school staff voice in this conference was emphasized during this conference. The schools that participated expressed a desire to embed SECD in all subject matters, noting that students cannot learn and cannot succeed unless we all consider their character and environment, and how education can help shape students into young people who are self- and socially aware. 

There were also opportunities during the conference for the students to share their voices, through videos and through messages of hope that were handed out to each conference participant.  

Positive Outcomes & Future Development 

Conference attendees looking at the SECD Guidelines document during the conference.

“This conference was so valuable because we were able to give an opportunity for schools to share their experiences, to communicate what they found in developing and implementing their own SEL activities, and to find solidarity with other schools who want to learn how to integrate more SEL in their curricula,” said Katherine Tek, Practice Lead for Wellbeing and Senior Project Manager at CE International, who oversaw the program since its inception. “I’m so pleased that throughout this program, we at CE International have been able to co-create and collaborate with our partners at CIP Centar and with all participating schools and stakeholders.”  

CE International is pleased that along with the conference, the program has also led to other outputs, such as accreditation of three SECD/SEL Training Modules by the Ministry of Education in Serbia. These modules can now be used by any schools or learning entities in the country. 

We have also published Guidelines for SECD/SEL Integration in Schools, as well as a Framework for SEL Integration Schoolwide, to be adopted by Serbia and used nationally. The Guidelines, along with a resource compendium of SECD / SEL materials and information (all in Serbian), are available for free on CIP Centar’s SEL Resource Compendium website.  

Photos from the Conference

Below are several photos from the conference.

Looking Ahead 

We are hopeful that the SECD initiatives in Serbian schools continues and that we will continue collaboration together. For now, we are so pleased with the success of the program from 2022-2025, and we continue to support the use of SECD/SEL with practitioners, caregivers, students, and children for their growth and development.  

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