Counselors in the AIU Non-Public Schools Program recently received crucial training to integrate supports for social-emotional learning (SEL) at their respective schools.  

Led by presentations from Dr. Shannon Wanless, Director of the Office of Child Development in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, and Shanna Bradfield, a Behavior Training and Consultation Coordinator at the AIU, staff were exposed to an array of evidence on SEL program effectiveness as well as how to choose and implement the right SEL approach for their classes and schools.

"When I think about social-emotional learning, I think how a school 'feels,'" Wanless said. Wanless utilized the book “A Day with No Words” by Tiffany Hammond to demonstrate various aspects of social-emotional learning.

The talks were organized in partnership with the initiative Supporting Expansion and Enhancement of K-12 School-Based Social, Emotional Supports (SEEKS SES), a project funded by the Allegheny County Health Department and managed by the AIU. This project has afforded our school district personnel to explore various aspects of school-based social-emotional supports within their districts and communities.   

Bradfield echoed Wanless’ sentiment in her talk, which focused on how SEL fits into a Multi-Tiered System of Supports. "We can have awesome things in place (but) if we don't have those connections with kids or they don't have good connections with each other, we still see struggles, Bradfield said."