SEL Fellows Academy

Applicants MUST be employed by a school district or regional office of education in North America, and they must be responsible for leading SEL in their communities. Our aim is to bring together a cohort of SEL leaders who represent the full landscape of this work (e.g., rural, urban, suburban) and different stages of implementation of SEL. We are looking for leaders who are eager to learn with and from one another and who are well-positioned to advance systemic change in their districts or regions. 

We will select a maximum of 45 applicants to participate in the SEL Fellows Academy annually.

This opportunity is only open to district leaders or regional office of education leaders in North America who are responsible for implementation of social emotional learning across the entire organization.

We encourage principals, building SEL leaders, or other educational leaders who do not fit the description of regional or district lead to join us for CASEL’s Leading Schoolwide SEL workshop. It is offered virtually periodically and is also available in an on-demand, self-paced format.

This opportunity is available exclusively for educational leaders employed by school districts and regional offices of education in North America. To ensure the experience is most impactful for participants, the SEL Fellows Academy is an opportunity only for those employed by school districts and regional offices of education in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Please note that the Fellowship experience is offered in English.

This opportunity is designed for SEL leads who are responsible for implementation over a district or region.

This experience is designed to be a meaningful learning opportunity for SEL leaders at all stages of this work. What is critical is that the applicant be well-positioned to lead systemic work, meaning they are the leader in charge of SEL planning and implementation for the district or regional overall, and that they are eager to learn and apply their learnings!

The cost to participate in the SEL Fellows Academy is $6,000 per person for the 10-month engagement. Most participants have the cost covered by their employer/school district/regional office of education. Participation in this leadership academy benefits your organization as a whole. We encourage prospective Fellows to inquire about professional learning or development funds available through their district or regional office.

Payment for the 2025-2026 cohort will be due August 11, 2025; however, we recognize that internal budgeting processes sometimes require flexibility and we are committed to working with incoming SEL Fellows so that the payment timeline is not a barrier.

We anticipate that applicants will have financial support for participation from their employers. We do have limited funds available for financial assistance, if necessary. You can indicate the need for support in your application of interest. Note: An indication of financial need does not guarantee additional support and will not impact our review of the application.

There is no payment made to Fellows for their participation.

The 2025-2026 application will open on February 4, 2025 and will close on March 18, 2025. Sign up here to be alerted when the application portal opens. Those accepted to be part of the 2025-2026 cohort will be notified in May 2025, and the cohort will launch in August 2025.

Full group sessions are held on Friday afternoons from 1-4 PM (ET). Note, the leadership academy requires active and engaged participation. Fellows will engage in workshops, mentorship, coaching consultancies, and related projects. This will add up to three dedicated hours per month for community gatherings and up to three hours of additional work monthly to reinforce and apply these learnings.

Throughout the 10-month experience, Fellows will unpack CASEL’s framework for systemic SEL implementation, developing their own knowledge and practice for leading systemic change in their own contexts. Each session is thoughtfully designed to be an immersive leadership experience where Fellows explore key elements of SEL leadership and implementation, delving into the theory and practice of the fundamental principles of SEL, adult SEL, SEL for students and continuous improvement. In addition, Fellows develop deep connections to a powerful community of SEL leaders, and apply their learnings to their own contexts through the development or refinement of SEL implementation plans and Capstone projects.

The SEL Fellows Academy full group sessions are designed to bring forward the latest learnings, and research related to SEL. The whole model is based on CASEL’s field tested framework of and evidence-based understanding of systemic SEL. We work together to unpack the latest grapplings and questions related to emerging work. CASEL continually updates the content we bring forward, sharing insights from field leaders and experts to inform the Fellows’ discussions.

Our approach to systemic SEL probes deeply into how SEL can be connected to other key areas for communities. As a learning community, we dive into the fundamentals of transformative social and emotional learning, looking at implications for ourselves as SEL leaders and also on implementation. More specific explorations of inquiries, such as how transformative SEL can shape arts education, could be a powerful launching point for an individual Fellows Capstone project.

SEL Fellows who participate in the Academy, completing a Capstone project and engaging as active members of the learning community, can share that they are CASEL SEL Fellows Academy Alumni at the conclusion of the experience. They will also be considered an SEL Fellows Academy alumni which includes continued partnership and connection to CASEL and the alumni network. There will not be credentialing offered. CASEL will provide a certificate of completion at the end of the 10-month Academy.

Leadership engagement is a critical driver of meaningful and sustainable SEL implementation, and therefore, it’s built to be a pillar of the SEL Fellows Academy experience. Starting with the application of interest, prospective Fellows are required to upload a letter of support, ideally from their Superintendent or from their Supervisor (see the application for more details). Then during the SEL Fellows Academy experience, we will bring the Superintendents together for roundtable discussion as well as engage them regarding their Fellow’s Capstone projects.

During the SEL Fellows Academy, each Fellow will develop two outputs to guide their implementation process. This will be supported by CASEL office hours and connections to CASEL thought partners.

Develop or refine an implementation plan for SEL implementation in their district or region.

Create a Capstone project, based on their personal curiosities and leadership goal, that addresses a specific SEL implementation need in their district or region.

The SEL Fellows Academy is an experience for leaders from a district or region responsible for guiding SEL implementation. That said, our work together focuses on building our individual capacity as leaders and SEL implementation experts, so that Fellows are best prepared to lead high-quality collaboration within their own contexts. The aim is for Fellows to take what they are experiencing in the Academy, including the work of creating or refining implementation plans for their district or region and the development of an aligned Capstone project, and engage colleagues and stakeholders in creating a robust approach to systemic SEL.

We are excited to continue engaging SEL Fellows beyond their tenure in the Academy as alumni fellows. These opportunities will engage Fellows across cohorts annually and be designed with input from the cohorts, including opportunities for thought partnership, collaboration, and shared learning to sustain the work long-term.