When I first considered doing an audiobook, I thought that I would have a professional narrator read it. I felt self-conscious, since English is not my first language and I have an accent. However, I realized that narrating my own book would create a special relationship with the listeners, as they would not only hear my words but also my voice, accent and all. 

During this process, there were special moments. The first one came after I was done reading the first chapter. The audio producer told me: “I can relate. As a minority student, high school was hard. It got better once I got to college. It was not the academics, it was all the other stuff. This is a great book.” That gave me motivation and confirmed my belief that this work truly matters. When the book was done, another audio producer shared with me that he had started adopting some of the strategies in the book with his guitar students. I felt honored. 

The work of Social Emotional Learning can impact people in ways we don’t anticipate. What a gift to be able to share the importance of HEART skills with the world! I hope you will join me in growing healthy and strong hearts. 

You can find the audiobook on Amazon and Audible. Coming soon on iTunes!

I have worked on this case study with colleagues from the Learning Policy Institute for several years, and am so excited to see it published. This is probably one of the best research studies currently available that looks at how school models like community schools support whole child education practices. 

Social Justice Humanitas is a public high school located in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, designed and founded by teachers as a community school in 2011. Their vision was to create a school that would “not only be a place of learning, but also a resource for the community.” To do so, they designed a school that would bring together community resources, incorporate collaborative structures, and support students on their pathways to postsecondary success and self-actualization.

Community schools, like SJ Humanitas, are increasingly elevated as an equity-driven, research-based approach that can address students’ holistic needs. In this case study, you can learn how SEL, identity-affirming practices and social justice can be embedded into teaching and learning to advance outcomes and support student well-being.

You can access the full report here.