Belitung, June 28, 2025 — The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), through its Developmental Psychology specialization team, reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to society by organizing a community engagement program entitled “Enhancing the Capacity of Early Childhood Teachers in Social Emotional Learning to Foster Positive Attitudes and Behaviors in Young Children.” The program was conducted in collaboration with the Association of Early Childhood Educators and Education Personnel (HIMPAUDI) of Bangka Belitung Province.

The training, held on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 08:00 to 15:00 WIB, was attended by 52 active early childhood teachers across Belitung. The event began with a welcoming address from a representative of the Belitung District Education Office, followed by a pre-test to assess participants’ self-efficacy.

The first session, delivered by Prof. Yulia Ayriza, Ph.D., and Hanifah Sholihah, M.A., introduced participants to various emotional expressions, the concept of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and its five core pillars. The session included group discussions and a post-test to evaluate participants’ learning outcomes. The subsequent session focused on the impact of SEL practices in shaping positive behaviors among young children. Teachers also presented the results of their group discussions and received constructive feedback from the Developmental Psychology lecturers.

Through this initiative, the Faculty of Psychology UNY highlights its active role in disseminating psychological knowledge to the wider community, particularly in supporting the improvement of early childhood education quality. This program also reflects UNY’s commitment as a Kampus Merdeka institution to generating meaningful impact by strengthening collaboration between higher education and society in fostering sustainable social change.