Leaders from 53 school districts and regional offices of education will join a national fellowship focused on social and emotional learning (SEL).
Selected from an impressive pool of applicants, the 2022 cohort of the SEL Fellows Academy will participate in a 10-month engagement to deepen their SEL leadership practices and systemic implementation in support of their students, educators, and communities. They represent almost 20 states that collectively serve more than 2 million students, preschool to high school. The full roster of the 2022 cohort can be found here.
A convergence of challenges amplified the spotlight on SEL, bringing with it a demand from educators for more guidance on how to advance SEL for millions of young people. Launched in 2021 by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning and with seed funding from The Allstate Foundation, the SEL Fellows Academy is a unique opportunity for rural, suburban, and urban communities to strengthen their SEL expertise with those in similar roles across the country.
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
“We are thrilled to expand this new effort, bringing together SEL champions from across the country to deepen their leadership, expertise and community of supporters,” said CASEL’s Senior Director of Practice Karen VanAusdal. “These exceptional leaders are now connected to a national community of SEL practitioners committed to ensuring SEL-rich learning experiences and environments for their young people in partnership with one another and CASEL.”
Alongside a growing network of peers and CASEL experts, SEL Fellows learn leadership and coaching strategies to address critical implementation practices, and develop an action plan that they can use to support their communities. This model was impactful with the inaugural cohort of 31 leaders, representing 17 states and serving 1.6 million students. As one inaugural SEL Fellow shared: “The Fellows provided exemplary models for SEL implementation, and were vulnerable and clear about the progress and challenges. The process I engaged in with the Fellows was a catalyst for collaborative discussions at my district to increase progress in multiple areas.”
For more than a decade, CASEL has been partnering with large, urban school districts nationwide to study and scale high-quality SEL. The SEL Fellows Academy is an opportunity to support more leaders in addressing the social and emotional development of their students and educators.
