Empowering Whole Hearts in Westbury: Fostering Emotional Wellness and Community Connections

Westbury's annual initiative to empower students and families with the tools for emotional well-being and success in the classroom and beyond

At the Westbury Union Free School District, we believe that academic success is closely linked to the social and emotional well-being of our scholars. Coming out of the pandemic, it became clear that our scholars and larger community needed more opportunities for re-connection, emotional support, and accessible mental health resources. With that in mind, we created our annual Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Fair—a high-spirited community event aimed at promoting resilience, self-care, and emotional wellness.

Coming out of the pandemic, it became clear that our scholars and larger community needed more opportunities for re-connection, emotional support, and accessible mental health resources.

A Community-Centered and Interactive Initiative 

The SEL Day Fair was designed to bring our entire community together—scholars, parents, educators, and local partners—to celebrate and reinforce the importance of social-emotional skills in daily life. When developing this initiative, we worked closely with district leadership, staff and faculty, the school board, and the community to build excitement and garner support. By showcasing the direct benefits of SEL on scholar success, behavior, and overall school climate, we made the fair a highly anticipated annual event!

Our leadership team emphasized that this fair wasn’t just another school event, but a bonafide community initiative. With strong support from local businesses, community leaders, and parents, the fair quickly gained momentum and became an event everyone looks forward to each year.

The SEL Day Fair is all about making social-emotional learning fun and accessible, and of course, engaging for all ages. We crafted an event that is interactive and filled with opportunities for learning and connection. The day begins with welcome remarks from district leaders and community representatives, setting a positive tone for the event. Afterward, families can explore over 75 vendor tables featuring local businesses, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, and wellness organizations.

There are interactive workshops and activities such as:

• Zumba
• Slime-making
• Animal petting stations
• Karaoke

All activities encourage creativity, movement, and stress relief —to name a few. The Westbury Mounted Police offer scholars an opportunity to interact positively with law enforcement, helping to build community trust. Throughout the day, entertainment, including a community band, adds to the lively atmosphere, while food trucks ensure families can relax and enjoy the event while staying engaged.

The primary goal of the SEL Day Fair is to foster emotional wellness, build stronger community ties, as well as provide families with tools to support their children’s social-emotional growth at home. We want attendees to leave with a deeper understanding of mental health, practical self-care strategies, and stronger connections within their community.

Collaborating for Success: A Focus on Sustainability and Impact

This event is a true community effort, with involvement from local businesses, non-profits, healthcare providers, and scholar-led initiatives. We make sure that everyone has a stake in the fair’s success. Volunteers, scholars, district staff, and board members all work together to ensure the event reflects the diverse needs of the Westbury School Community. Our community involvement extends beyond just the day of the event. By fostering strong relationships between families, schools, and local organizations, we ensure that emotional wellness is a priority year-round in Westbury.

Making the SEL Day Fair sustainable and impactful has been a top priority. Strategic partnerships with local businesses, healthcare organizations, and corporate sponsors have been key to securing resources for the event. We also tap into grants focused on mental health, scholar well-being, and community-building to ensure the event is financially sustainable. Instead of relying solely on district funds, we leverage community assets and volunteer support, which helps keep costs down while increasing community ownership.

Activities that Make a Difference

Two activities have been particularly successful and impactful, and we believe other districts could adapt them for their own SEL initiatives.

One of the biggest highlights of the event has been the pet therapy and animal engagement station. We introduced a petting station with therapy animals, which has been incredibly popular. Studies show that interacting with animals can reduce stress and anxiety, and we’ve seen firsthand how scholars and families light up during these interactions. This is an experience other organizations could replicate by partnering with local animal therapy programs or farms.

Another successful activity has been our interactive SEL workshops. These hands-on activities, such as slime-making and face painting, provide scholars with sensory experiences that help them regulate their emotions and practice mindfulness. These creative workshops serve as engaging and impactful SEL strategies that can be adapted by classroom practitioners looking for high-impact activities.

A Larger Movement for Scholar Well-Being

Community engagement is key to the success of our SEL initiatives. Scholars don’t exist in isolation, and their success depends on strong support systems at home, school, and within the broader community. Our SEL Day Fair is just one piece of a larger movement to make emotional wellness a priority—both inside and outside the classroom.

By fostering collaboration between educators, families, and local organizations, we have  seen stronger relationships between families and schools, leading to more parental involvement in scholars’ well-being. We have also made mental health resources more accessible to families, ensuring immediate support when needed. Having an actual health center inside of our high school provides an additional resource to scholars in need. Scholars have become more empowered, actively participating in event planning, leadership, and advocacy for their own well-being.

Scholars don’t exist in isolation, and their success depends on strong support systems at home, school, and within the broader community. 

The SEL Day Fair is a celebration of community, resilience, and the emotional wellness of our scholars—and we cannot wait to continue making this event bigger and better each year. It is a true testament to what we can achieve when we come together to prioritize the mental health and social-emotional growth of our precious young people.