Newtown Mother to Present Lecture at Quinnipiac University

Newtown mother Scarlett Lewis who lost her son during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting will present a lecture at Quinnipiac University.

The lecture, “Why Social and Emotional Learning Matters: Teaching Kids to Choose Love,” is sponsored by Quinnipiac’s School of Education and is free and open to the public.

Lewis’ son Jesse Lewis was killed during the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead.

“I would like to show the students of Quinnipiac University they have the courage within them to choose love in any situation,” Lewis said. “I would like to plant the seed that there is opportunity for endless growth as a result of trauma and the empowering force of forgiveness.”

The lecture will help teach future teachers about the importance of social curriculum.

“We train our teachers at Quinnipiac that the social curriculum is equal to the academic curriculum,” said Anne Dichele, professor of education and director of the master of arts in teaching program at Quinnipiac. “You teach it the same way you would teach mathematics or reading or any other academic subject area. This lecture really supports the kind of teacher training we do here at the School of Education. The social curriculum is infused in what we do.”

Lewis started the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation which collaborates with educators on developing school-based programs to change the culture of violence.

Te lecture is being held from 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 17 in the auditorium of the Center for Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac’s North Haven campus, 370 Bassett Rd.

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