Dear Friends, 

As the school year comes to a close, many of us are looking forward to warmer weather, longer days, and time to reconnect with friends and family.

But as a parent, I also know that many of us are concerned about the loss of structure and learning students may experience during the long break—often called the “summer slump.”

While typically associated with academic learning, this slump extends its reach to an equally crucial aspect of development: social-emotional learning (SEL).

It's the cornerstone of healthy personal development, influencing everything from academic success to future career prospects.

During the school year, opportunities for social interaction and emotional growth are abundant. However, when the final bell rings and summer vacation begins, this structured environment dissipates, leaving many students adrift in a sea of unstructured time. 

Without the daily interactions and guidance provided by teachers and peers, maintaining and developing social-emotional skills can become challenging.

The consequences of neglecting social-emotional learning during the summer months can be significant. Students may experience... 

• Feelings of loneliness or isolation
• Struggles to communicate effectively with others
• Find it difficult to regulate their emotions in unfamiliar situations. 

Prevention Links is thrilled to be able to offer a variety of free social-emotional learning activities and supports throughout the summer months:

Our Union County Student Support Services (NJ4S) Hub offers weekly SEL workshops at locations throughout the County and virtually. NJ4S Union also offers brief counseling for students in grades 6-12 who are in need of more intensive support and can be referred by their local school district. 

Our five Family Success Centers offer a variety of fun, engaging parent-child activities. 

Our Community Prevention Division offers parenting classes through our Elizabethport Community Center designed to enhance communication skills and social-emotional co-regulation. 

We are here for you and your family during the summer and throughout the school year. Please take advantage of these free resources and help us to spread the word to other families who need them. Thank you for being a link to a brighter future!  

In Service,

Morgan Thompson

Morgan Thompson (she/her), MSW

Chief Executive Officer

Prevention Links is a private, non-profit organization with a history dating back to 1971. With community being defined as any environment where people live, work, or learn, the goal of Prevention Links is to pull together all available resources to eliminate the deleterious effects of drugs, alcohol, violence, and inadequate educational and health institutions in our communities

Our mission is to foster healthy sustainable communities by empowering people through education, collaboration and by serving as the linkage to resources.



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