New support has arrived in the UAE to improve children's mental health and enhance their holistic well-being. Founded by primary school teacher Sherri Samuel, The SEL Hub provides various tools, services, and resources aimed at parents, children, and schools. They are all designed to help young people struggling with self-confidence, poor behaviour, low moods and low self-esteem to regulate their emotions and boost their mental fitness.
Sherri Samuel, The SEL Hub Founder, and Primary Educator explains her motivations behind the concept: “We know mental health problems among children and adolescents are on the rise, but there is a worrying lack of holistic support. From a personal perspective, my brother grappled with emotional self-regulation since childhood. These challenges persisted into his adult life, causing him to emotionally withdraw when he experienced anything other than happiness, ultimately leading to his tragic suicide at the age of 22. I firmly believe that if we had access to the right tools and services, his suicide could have been prevented.
“Furthermore, as a teacher, I see children’s struggles in the classroom and the stigma associated with accessing mental health support. In today's fast-paced world, they require a strong foundation in social-emotional learning. Just as we have first-aid kits for physical injuries, it's time to introduce first-aid tools to support mental well-being. I want these resources to serve as an early intervention and a proactive solution.”
How The SEL Hub supports parents and families
Monthly workshops teaching parents easy-to-implement strategies to co-regulate their child's emotions.
Mindfulness workshops for children under 11.
The Calm Quest Subscription Box - packed with essential tools and resources that empower kids to develop resilience, practice self-care, and nurture their foundational life skills. Each monthly delivery come with lots of fun mindfulness surprises.
The Calming Self-Regulation Journal: A place for children to name and tame their emotions. The journal teaches them accountability and how to self-regulate their emotions. Therefore, improving their social skills, ability to deal with conflict, and learning how their actions can impact themselves and others.
The Mind Dump Journal: A mind dumping buddy for children to release all of their thoughts onto paper. It includes a free writing space, daily affirmations, a space to draw their feelings and a space to record their own growth mindset statements.
Tell Dovie App for schools
In line with KHDA’s new Well-being Framework, the Tell Dovie app gives educators a proactive, digital solution to support children in the classroom. It offers a range of features, such as journaling and mood tracking designed to enhance well-being and improve learning behaviour. And it supports teachers by identifying each child's unique needs.
