The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, providing no-cost social and emotional learning and character development (SELCD) programs, has launched its 7th Annual Choose Love Awareness Month during February to promote hope, healing and connection through social and emotional learning.

The Choose Love Movement honors six-year-old Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim Jesse Lewis.

“We celebrate Choose Love and social and emotional learning all year long, but February has been officially designated Choose Love Awareness Month and we welcome everyone — students, educators, families, and communities across the country and the world — to learn and share the Choose Love message,” explained Scarlett Lewis, founder and CMO of the Choose Love Movement.

In a recent chat with The Newtown Bee, Lewis said that each week in February’s Choose Love Awareness Month will focus on a pillar of the Choose Love Formula: Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Compassion in Action.

“This formula has given so many people from across the world relief from physical, mental, and emotional pain, and helps them take more control of their lives — literally becoming victors instead of victims,” Lewis said. “As human beings, we have all had things happen to us that we would not choose, but we can take our personal power back through this formula.”

Lewis said courage is the most important character value because it is the one that underlies all the rest.

“Science tells us we can actually strengthen our courage by practicing certain skills,” she said. “And we’re going to be rolling these out the first week of February.

Gratitude, Lewis said, has the power to shift our mind’s focus from negativity and anxiety to being grateful.

“We can only focus on one thought at a time — either a negative thought or a grateful one, which can help you move toward hope,” she said. “And practicing gratitude can make us happy.”

Week three focuses on what Lewis said is the most important part of her healing journey: Forgiveness.

“Forgiveness is actually kids’ most favorite character value,” she said. “They tell me that forgiveness is like a super power, and it feels so good to let [anger and spite] go. It’s really one of the most important tools we can have in order to experience healthy, meaningful relationships.”

Week four’s focus point, compassion in action, is especially important in these times of social isolation, Lewis said.

“There is an action component in compassion,” she explained, “so when we practice compassion for each other, it strengthens us and is a key to our health and wellbeing.”

Connect Community

New this year is an interactive component that brings Choose Love to life online. Through the newly launched Choose Love Connect Community and Program Portal, registered users can access daily videos featuring Lewis, Choose Love ambassadors, and staff who will challenge classrooms, groups, and individuals to participate in fun activities around the principles of Choosing Love.

Participants can also qualify to win Choose Love prizes. To register to access Choose Love Awareness Month resources plus free Choose Love programs, visit chooselovemovement.org and click Register.

Lewis said there are many ways to take part in Choose Love Awareness Month:

*Join Choose Love Connect to access daily video challenges, fun activities, and worksheets for educators, parents, students; and community members;

*Follow the Choose Love social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily activities and challenges all month long. Like, comment, and share their posts to help raise awareness;

*Ask if your schools have social and emotional learning programs. Suggest Choose Love For Schools. It is free, easy to use, and was created by educators for educators;

*Take the Choose Love Pledge and learn the Choose Love Formula;

*Make a choice every day to turn one angry thought into a loving thought;

*Become a Choose Love Advocate and reach out to educators, school administrators, and community leaders to make them aware of Choose Love For Schools; and

*Sponsor a Choose Love gift basket for a class, school, or district.

Spread The Word

The Choose Love Movement is a community-led movement offering free SELCD development to help people thoughtfully respond to any situation or circumstance. It has reached two million children in 10,000 schools in all 50 states and in 111 countries.

Its signature program, Choose Love for Schools, is a comprehensive, no-cost, next-generation social and emotional learning and character education program for pre-K through 12th grades, designed to teach students, educators, and staff how to choose love in any circumstance, thereby creating a safer, more connected school culture.

Choose Love Awareness Month brings attention to the importance of teaching children core competencies and skills, beyond academics, that can help them thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally. When students have Choose Love For Schools as part of their instruction you can expect them to have academic success, positive social behavior, fewer conduct problems, and less emotional distress.

Aligned with CASEL, Common Core, and ASCA, Lewis said Choose Love For Schools is also the first SEL program to fully incorporate state-of-the-art character social emotional development (CSED) model standards while incorporating neuroscience and positive psychology to teach mindfulness, character, and emotional intelligence. These essential life skills and tools make students better learners and happier, healthier human beings.

“I believe our Choose Love message can help heal everyone suffering from anxiety and disconnection due to the turbulent times we’re facing. Our response is an action, and the opposite of anxiety is action. So we can reduce our anxiety through our thoughtful response. Our guiding principle is that although we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control how we respond, and we can always respond by Choosing Love,” said Lewis.

“Love is also connection; therefore, teaching emotional management, relationship skills, and thoughtfully responding with love is facilitating connection,” she added. “Choosing love is a direct path to flourishing at any age.”

For more information, visit the website and follow the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.