Marc Brackett Helps to Shape the Future with The Royal Foundation by Introducing a Framework for Lifelong Social and Emotional Skills

Social and emotional development starts at birth and continues throughout life—it shapes who we are and how we engage with the world around us. Social and emotional learning is being prioritized by educators, parents, and mental and physical health care providers to ensure that children grow into adults who thrive and contribute to an increasingly complex society. Individuals with strong social and emotional skills are likelier to have better communication, stronger relationships, enhanced performance, increased resilience, and greater well-being.

Until recently, no adaptable social and emotional development framework spanned disciplines and cultural contexts. To bridge this gap, Marc Brackett, PhD, director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Yale Child Study Center, collaborated with experts from the UCL Institute of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, and King's College. Together with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, they created a unifying framework that makes social and emotional development more accessible and impactful across a variety of settings in the UK.

Founded in 2021, The Centre for Early Childhood—part of The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales—champions the vital role of early childhood experiences in shaping thriving individuals and communities. Its latest initiative, the Shaping Us Framework, furthers this mission by promoting lifelong social and emotional well-being, starting in early childhood and extending across the lifespan to build a happier, healthier society in the UK.

The Shaping Us Framework drives societal change in the UK by raising awareness of the lifelong importance of social and emotional skill development. It inspires individuals, communities, and organizations to take action in creating the conditions for children to thrive and acts as a guide for what skills matter the most. Developed using the Delphi methodology, the framework blends expert and public consensus on what to include and how to structure it for universal accessibility.

The Shaping Us Framework organizes 30 life skills into six clusters:

• Explore the world: How we explore and discover the world around us
• Nurture our relationships: How we get along and build relationships with others
• Communicate with others: How we receive and share feelings, thoughts, and information
• Focus our thoughts: How we effectively learn, work, and manage life
• Manage our emotions: How we understand, process, and manage our emotions
• Know ourselves: Who we are as individuals

As society continues to navigate evolving challenges, the importance of social and emotional development remains clear. We create stronger, more compassionate communities by equipping individuals with the skills to understand themselves and others. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and The Royal Foundation believe the Shaping Us Framework is valuable in this effort, providing a structured and accessible approach to fostering lifelong emotional well-being. With the commitment of educators, policymakers, and organizations, we can ensure that social and emotional learning remains a priority—empowering future generations to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.