The Social Institute

 

HILTON HEAD IS., SC – Hilton Head Preparatory School is excited to announce a three year partnership with The Social Institute (TSI), a company out of Durham, NC that is a leader in understanding student experiences and strengthening school culture. The Social Institute offers a gamified, online learning platform that empowers students to navigate their social world positively — including social media and technology — to fuel their health, happiness, and future success.

 

Head of the Upper School, Tina Webb Browning, and Head of the Lower and Middle School, Cleteus Smith, are excited to administer this program to all students in the 6^th-12^th grades at Prep. “TSI lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character,” says Mrs. Webb Browning. Mr. Smith adds, “And they do this while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment.”

 

Ninety-five percent of teens regularly use a smartphone and 45% say they are online almost constantly, some spending 8.5 hours each day for entertainment. COVID has accelerated some already growing trends affecting students such as feelings of anxiety and depression and addiction to technology. This TSI partnership empowers students, families, and educators with the skills to navigate social experiences – both online and offline – in positive, high-character ways.

 

As Head of School, Paul Horgan begins his tenure at Prep, promoting positivity with the school community is an immediate focus. “Social media is causing a lot of reactivity in students and is contributing to the loss of self-esteem both online and offline”, says Mr. Horgan. “Hilton Head Prep has always prided itself on being a positive and supportive community and this partnership with TSI will enhance that as well as excite and empower students, parents, and educators to make the best decisions for the community.”

 

Hilton Head Prep will engage all members of the Prep community in this program with parent resources and webinars and student and faculty programs meant to engage the entire community in supporting the social-emotional health of our students.

 

The Social Institute’s #WinAtSocial program delivers powerful, real-time insight into school culture and student experiences to help school communities make the best decisions for their students. It also enables schools to better support their students' health, happiness, and future success through real-time insights into student experiences, both online and offline.