The Kinful Curriculum

The Kinful curriculum is built on three pillars, each working in tandem to achieve our mission of unlocking social-emotional competencies (SEL) in students around the world: Intercultural Exchange; Social-Emotional Learning Exercises; and Virtual Reality Technology (VR).

Why Intercultural Exchange?

When you immerse yourself in a different culture, you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and of the world around you — you experience new perspectives and learn to embrace diversity. While exploring and learning about the lives of others, you discover new aspects of yourself. These cross-cultural experiences are instrumental in becoming a social leader in our increasingly globalized world. As the U.S. Dept. of State puts it, "the world is full of new people to meet, so be sure to reach out and make an effort to smile, talk to people, and make time to cultivate friendships you may have the rest of your life. By doing this, you become aware of the inner concerns, hopes, and dreams of a family, a neighborhood or city, a nation, and global community. And with this realization comes the corresponding knowledge of what it means to belong to your own particular country and culture."

Why Social-Emotional Learning?

As defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) : "Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions." What's more, the skills nurtured by SEL — decision-making, self-management, etc. — significantly improve academic performance. Want to know more about how SEL works in our classrooms? We've got a detailed breakdown below.

Why Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality — student-created 360° immersive video — enables us to bring intercultural exchanges directly into the classroom. Using VR, students record and share their lives with their peers around the world. These videos serve as the foundation of our in-classroom SEL exercises, where students are given the opportunity to see the world through another's eyes.