Key Points
Back to top- Over 100 Kenyan junior high teachers participated in a professional development program that took a community-based approach to integrating social and emotional learning with Kenya’s cultural values and teaching practices.
- The training emphasized embedding SEL into existing STEM curricula using hands-on activities, digital tools, and reflective practices, making SEL accessible for students across diverse urban and rural Kenyan contexts.
- By positioning educators as leaders and interpreters of SEL, the program demonstrated how a community-based approach can be sustainable, scalable, and transformative—extending beyond individual classrooms to influence the broader educational system.
In July 2025, more than 100 junior high school teachers from across Kenya came together for a transformative professional development centered on social and emotional learning (SEL) through a uniquely Kenyan perspective.
For those of us who have attended, it was more than another workshop. It was a call to action to integrate SEL as a core pillar of teaching and learning in ways that reflect Kenya’s culture, values, and classrooms as Kenya’s national education system transitions to the competency-based curriculum.
Partnering for Progress
Back to topThis program grew out of a close partnership between two organizations committed to advancing holistic education in Africa and beyond:
- Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA)—a leading institution under Kenya’s Ministry of Education, recognized for its work in training STEM teachers through hands-on, learner-centered approaches across Africa
- Grow X Education (California, USA)—an education organization led by researchers and educators with decades of experience bringing community-based, equitable SEL into classrooms worldwide
For months, the CEMASTEA and Grow X Education teams met weekly on Zoom, working side by side to design a training program that is practical for teachers, sustainable within Kenya’s education systems, and firmly grounded in research. We shared a common vision: STEM education can serve as a powerful pathway to build not only academic skills but also the social and emotional competencies essential for students’ lifelong success.
Community-Based Approach to SEL
Back to topThis training program was framed with a postcolonial perspective and guided by an educational sustainability model, recognizing that Kenya’s approach to SEL must be built up from local voices and move beyond simply importing Western frameworks.
To better understand teachers’ experiences and needs, survey data were collected from 89 teachers (53 percent male, 47 percent female) across eight counties representing urban, semi-urban, and rural contexts. Focus groups with teachers and students provided additional qualitative insights into classroom and teaching backgrounds, student competencies, current SEL practices, and available support.
The survey highlighted key priority areas: stress and anxiety management as well as emotional awareness emerged as the most urgent needs for Kenyan learners. Teachers also identified growth mindset and fostering social connection as critical to student success. Interestingly, independent data collected from students echoed these same priorities.
Despite the overwhelming recognition of SEL’s importance by teachers (85 percent), only a small proportion (33 percent) had received any SEL training. These results demonstrate an urgent need for culturally responsive, targeted social and emotional learning tailored to meet specific needs and local context.
The voices of the community directly shaped the one-day training. Every aspect—from the content, to the structure, to delivery methods—was informed by Kenyan teachers, carefully considering the resources available in their schools. In this way, Kenyan teachers became both the drivers and interpreters of SEL in their own classrooms.
Localizing SEL in Kenyan Classrooms
Back to topWe began by building on the strengths already present in the community. As CEMASTEA’s core mission is to train teachers on STEM, it was no surprise that survey results showed STEM as the subject area where teachers felt most confident.
This made STEM the perfect focal point for our training, illustrating how SEL can be seamlessly integrated into existing STEM curricula. This approach was especially important, as many of the challenges teachers reported in supporting SEL were linked to curriculum overload and limited instructional time.
To make the training more accessible, we offered it in a hybrid format, allowing teachers to participate either in-person or online. This was especially valuable for educators in rural areas who would have otherwise faced extensive travel time.
The in-person sessions were led by three educational psychologists from the Grow X Education team, all with expertise in developing culturally relevant, community-based SEL. The training took place in Nairobi, Kenya, during the STEMtastic Adventures, Africa! conference hosted by CEMASTEA, mEducation Alliance, and African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) in July 2025.
The workshop combined theoretical foundations with practical strategies and featured SEL-infused STEM demo lessons such as:
- The Neural Web—linking brain science with growth mindset while building a model neural network
- Calming Jar—using a science experiment on physical properties to teach strategies for self-regulating strong emotions
- The Light in My Life—building a basic light circuit while reflecting on and expressing gratitude
- The We Tree—connecting plant biology ecosystems with the power of interdependence in classroom communities
Teachers also engaged with the Grow X SEL platform, which offers tools such as social-emotional check-ins, interactive lessons, and guided reflections that can be completed independently.
In addition, small-group discussions and activities allowed teachers to share their classroom experiences, exchange SEL strategies, and collaboratively design approaches tailored to their local context.
As one teacher reflected and shared, “… personally I have learned something new … incorporating SEL in learning will really improve learners creativity and all other STEM related skills.”
Toward an African SEL Framework and Beyond
Back to topThis initiative highlights what becomes possible when SEL is grounded in cultural values, co-designed through shared knowledge, and woven into existing educational priorities such as STEM.
Kenyan teachers reminded us that SEL is not simply a set of stand-alone skills for individual students to master, but a deeply relational, ethical, and communal practice rooted in values like Ubuntu—the African philosophy that emphasizes interconnectedness, mutual respect, and shared humanity.
By drawing strengths of these cultural foundations while also addressing local challenges such as stress, anxiety, and emotional awareness, Kenyan educators are tackling SEL not merely as a classroom intervention, but as a transformative practice of collective care.
The program demonstrated that meaningful, sustainable SEL must be locally rooted yet globally informed. It showed that even in low-resource contexts, when teachers are positioned as leaders and interpreters, SEL can be embedded into classrooms in ways that are practical, impactful, and scalable.
One participating teacher shared, “CEMASTEA can cascade these training to all teachers country-wide; make use of us who have trained today to train others,” demonstrating both enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility to extend SEL practices beyond their own classrooms.
We are deeply grateful to the participating educators for their vision, leadership, openness, and resilience. Their commitment to integrating SEL into daily teaching practices offers an exciting path forward—not only for Kenya, but for other communities across Africa and beyond—reminding us that the future of SEL will be shaped by the voices of teachers themselves.
The views in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CASEL.
Jae H. Paik, a professor of psychology at San Francisco State University and a co-founder of Grow X Education. She directs the International Service-Learning programs and SEL research, promoting global awareness of evidence-based, culturally responsive SEL practices. With decades of experience collaborating with educational communities worldwide, she currently leads SEL initiatives in school systems across the U.S., Korea, India, East Africa, the Philippines, and beyond.
Jacinta Akatsa, the chief executive officer of the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), a state corporation whose mandate is STEM Training and Research has contributed immensely to upskilling the Kenyan teachers’ pedagogical skills in the teaching of Mathematics, Science and ICT integration thereby revolutionizing the teaching of sciences through STEM. At the international front, Mrs. Akatsa is the executive secretary for Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education in Africa (SMASE-Africa), a network of 29 African Countries.
Shinchieh Duh, a professor of psychology at San José State University and head of program operations at Grow X Education. She specializes in using mixed methods for individual and program assessments, with the aim to examine development across ages and in varying sociocultural contexts to bring community-rooted, culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences for all students.
Rita Rodriguez, is a member of the Program Development Team at Grow X Education. She also leads the Special Education Team for the Palo Alto Unified School District in California and serves on the faculty in the School Psychology program at San Francisco State University. With more than 20 years in U.S. K–12 settings, she advances SEL initiatives globally—especially for children in developing countries—to improve outcomes for students and school communities.
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