EDC and Transforming Education to Launch SEL & Mental Health Academy

WALTHAM, MASS | Education Development Center (EDC) and Transforming Education have partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to provide school districts with intensive professional development (PD) academies focused on social and emotional learning (SEL) and mental health.

The SEL & Mental Health Academy is designed to:

• Help districts align and integrate SEL and mental health with existing priorities, requirements, and activities
• Build dedicated teams capable of establishing multi-tiered systems of support focused on student SEL and mental health.

The Academy builds on the growing body of research showing the essential role that social and emotional competencies contribute to positive outcomes in many realms of life, including academic achievement and career readiness.

“The Academy is a great opportunity for districts to gain the capacity they need to design, implement, and sustain evidence-based SEL and mental health programs and supports.” says EDC’s Shai Fuxman, the Academy’s project director. “This is a unique opportunity for each selected district or school to customize their own models to meet the needs of their students.”

Over the next several years, a group of districts from across Massachusetts will be selected each year to participate in a three-year PD cycle to cultivate and spread the knowledge, skills, strategies, and structures that are essential for moving SEL and mental health promotion science into practice within classrooms and throughout schools and districts. Interested districts are invited to apply. Those selected will receive a three-day in-person training, online PD opportunities, and personalized coaching and technical assistance.

“We are excited to spend the next few years engaging with Massachusetts schools and districts focused on SEL and mental health. We deeply believe in the importance of this type of focus on ensuring strong, equitable academic and life outcomes for all students,” says Richard Fournier, Managing Director of Partnerships at Transforming Education and co-director of the project.

Interested school districts can apply to the academy at https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4953052/SEL-Mental-Health-academy. For more program information, contact Shai Fuxman.

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

Transforming Education is a Boston-based nonprofit focused on whole child development through systems change. Founded in 2013 and incorporated independently in 2016, we partner with schools and districts/CMOs educating over one million students in twenty-five states.