No one has a crystal ball. Especially these days, it’s impossible to know what tomorrow will bring—let alone five, or ten, or twenty years from now. But there are foundational skills everyone needs to grow, thrive, and deal with whatever life brings. Alongside math, reading, science, and vocational training, these skills are critical to lifelong success—no matter how the economy, job market, and other factors change.
We call them human skills, and you rely on them every day. When you are frustrated dealing with traffic or a child’s misbehavior, you rely on self-regulation to ensure you can engage productively. When you are struggling to complete a project at work, you use your persistence, collaboration, and problem-solving skills to see the job through to completion. When you encounter disappointment or failure, you draw on resilience to pick yourself back up and curiosity to learn what went wrong and how you can learn from your mistakes.
Recognizing the importance of these basic human skills is critical as we contend with changes in the education landscape and advances in technology that are transforming our classrooms and our ways of life. In this 2026 State of the Field webinar, Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel and Dr. Timothy Shriver offer their insights about how getting “back to the basics” of self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, problem-solving, and responsible decision-making can equip students and adults alike with what they need to navigate an uncertain future.
Kickstart your new year with a return to the fundamentals. Watch the recording now!
