In a unique, multi-sector partnership, UC Berkeley Extension is working with UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare, Sacramento County Office of Education, and California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) CalHOPE Student Support Program to build social and emotional learning capacity across California with new graduate-level courses for educators and leaders.

Informed by a statewide coalition of education stakeholders, we are proud to offer the SEL Foundations Course—designed for classroom teachers who work directly with pre-K–12th grade students—and the SEL Ambassadors course, geared for those who are leading systemic SEL implementation.

SEL Courses for Teachers and Systemic SEL Leaders

Social and Emotional Learning Foundations

SEL Foundations is a 3-credit, online, graduate-level course designed for classroom teachers and expanded learning staff who work directly with a stable group of pre-K through 12th-grade students. This course is currently offered at no cost to California educators thanks to the generous funding from the California Department of Health Care Services! If you would like to review course details, including dates and times for live sessions, see the SEL Foundations Course Detailed Description. To express interest in the course, complete our Enrollment Intake Form!

SEL Ambassadors Course for Systemic SEL Leaders
SEL Ambassadors logo in green

Coming Soon: The SEL Ambassadors course is for those focused on systemic SEL implementation in schools, districts, and counties.


Videos

Teacher Jori Krulder on Taking the Social and Emotional Learning Foundations Course

Teacher Jori Krulder on Taking the Social and Emotional Learning Foundations Course

Video conversation With Brent Malicote about the SEL Foundations course for California teachers

Partnering to Create an SEL Course for California Educators—A Conversation With Brent Malicote

Video conversation with Linda Burton about why there has never been a better time for SEL in schools

Why There's Never Been a Better Time for SEL in Schools—A Conversation With Linda Burton

Video conversation with Mai Xi Lee about the SEL Foundations course for California teachers

UC Berkeley's SEL Foundations Course for California Teachers—A Conversation With Mai Xi Lee

Handwritten text 'Welcome. I see you. I will listen to you. Let's learn together!'

The Benefits of SEL

California Department of Education states that two decades of research confirm evidence-based SEL contributes to important student outcomes such as academic attainment—on average, SEL programs improved students' academic performance by 11 percentile points—and "improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others and school" (Durlak et al., 2011). Social and emotional competencies are essential to college and career readiness and success and are also associated with longer-term benefits, such as improved economic mobility, health, and well-being. In sum, SEL is an essential piece of the developmental and societal puzzle in ensuring more equitable outcomes for our children and young people.

Meet Your Academic Director

Valerie Shapiro, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Co-Director, Center for Prevention Research in Social Welfare
SEL Program Academic Director

Valerie B. Shapiro, Ph.D., was recently selected as a William T. Grant Foundation Scholar. She is currently leading continuous improvement efforts for the FEMA/SAMHSA-funded CalHope Student Support initiative. Read more about Dr. Shapiro.

Academic Director Valerie Shapiro

T-SEL Council

Brent Malicote
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, Sacramento County Office of Education

Mai Xi Lee
Social and Emotional Learning Director, Sacramento County Office of Education

D. Lacy Asbill
CEO, Reading With Relevance

Sandra Azevedo
Continuous Improvement, Butte County

Bloodine Barthelus, Ed.D.
Senior Director of Practice, CASEL

Katie Brackenridge
Partnership Director, TurnAround for Children

Travis Bristol, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UC Berkeley

Keisha Larry Burns, Ed.D.
School Counselor, Palmdale School District; Adjunct Professor, University of La Verne; California Association of School Counselors

Lily Chang, M.S.
Coordinator of Continuous Improvement, Butte County Office of Education

Channa Cook, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Sacramento County Office of Education

Amy Cranston, Ed.D.
Executive Director, SEL4CA

Ruth M. Cross, M.A.
SEL Senior Consultant, CASEL

Rosa De Leon
Senior Strategy Director, Californians for Justice

Mindy Fattig, M.Ed.
Senior Adviser, Statewide System of Support, CA Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

Raul Gonzalez, M.A. MME, M.A. ED Leadership, BCLAD
Teacher, Professional Development Trainer for CTA and NEA

Stephen Hahm
School Climate Coach, Mendocino County Office of Education

Deirdre Hon, M.Ed., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Portland School of Education

Sobia Khan, Ph.D.
Director, The Center for Implementation

Kevin Kurtz
Director of Continuous Improvement, SEL and MTSS, Tehama County Office of Education

Lisa Levasseur
Executive Director of School Support, Elk Grove Unified School District

Julia Mahfouz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor; University of Colorado, Denver

Jennifer Peck
Consultant

Daniel Rolleri
Director, Professional Learning, Culture/Climate & SEL, Sacramento City Unified School District

Susan Ward Roncalli, Ph.D.
Social Emotional Learning Adviser, Los Angeles Unified School District

Meghan Salter, M.A.
SEL Teacher on Special Assignment, Nevada County Office of Education/UHSD

Aija Simmons, M.A.
UTK Coordinator, 21st Century School Leadership Academy and Core Facilitator, Transformative Educational Leadership

Meena Srinivasan, M.A., NBCT
Executive Director, Transformative Educational Leadership/Chief Executive Officer, Karuna Consulting LLC

Loretta Whitson, Ed.D.
Executive Director, California Association of School Counselors