Pioneers Abroad: School of Education Professors Travel to England to Present Social Emotional Learning Research
"As leaders in the field, we are modeling best practices for our students and forging new opportunities for collaboration with mental health professionals and faculty from other universities in the U.S. and in the U.K."
To School of Education faculty Christal Edmunds, Ph.D., and Vincenne Revilla Beltrán, Ph.D., a student's well-being and their education are inextricably linked.
Both professors take a holistic approach to education and believe that for children to learn and develop successfully, their social, emotional and physical needs must be met. Dr. Revilla’s teaching mantra is, "Maslow’s Hierarchy before Bloom’s Taxonomy!"
In that spirit, Dr. Edmunds and Dr. Revilla Beltrán have spent the last year working together on research related to early learning, mental health recovery and social emotional learning, or SEL, an educational method that helps individuals develop social and emotional skills. This summer, they traveled to England to share their findings with fellow educators and mental health professionals and learn how other schools incorporate SEL concepts into classrooms and community centers.
"We've read about many of these people and places as we've dug deeper into researching SEL, and to have that opportunity to connect with them was such a tremendous, emotional experience," Dr. Edmunds said.
Dr. Edmunds and Dr. Revilla Beltrán have studied alternative teaching methods and mental well-being practices throughout their careers and share those experiences through their coursework at Point Park and in the community. For example, Dr. Edmunds has collaborated with Open the Joy to pilot emotional intelligence activity kits in local classrooms as part of her Curriculum and Instructional Practice course at Point Park, and Dr. Revilla Beltrán teaches hand-stitching classes throughout the Pittsburgh region while sharing the mindfulness and mental health benefits of practicing fiber arts.
In 2020, they became certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), a program from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that seeks to teach adults how to help a child, ages 12-18, who is experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge or is in crisis. They facilitated YMHFA training for Point Park faculty, and it is embedded in the School of Education's undergraduate coursework so that students pursuing careers in education are prepared to identify and respond to such issues when they teach in their future classrooms.
During their trip to England, they collaborated and met with individuals, schools and agencies in London, Devon, Dartmoor, Moretonhampstead, Ashburton and Plymouth, including:
- The Foundling Museum, whose mission is to inspire change through the arts. The museum works to transform the well-being and life opportunities for vulnerable children and young adults through creative collaborations with artists.
- St. Sidwell’s Community Center of Devon Recovery Learning Community and Devon Partnership NHS Trust, where they met with mental health professionals and clients who were participating in various recovery programs.
- Running Deer School, an alternative educational setting specializing in working with students with learning, Autism, ADHD, trauma, social, emotional and behavioral difficulties; mental health issues and other challenges.
- Wellmoor Community Health and Wellbeing, which focuses on outreach and therapeutic opportunities in the Dartmoor region.
- Sands School, a program based on the democratic principles initiated by A.S. Neill at Summerhill, established in 1921. Administrators, teachers and students work together through a democratic process to create an educational program that meets each individual’s needs and aspirations and those of the collective group.
- Organic Arts, a working farm setting that provides a wide range of art programs for the community. They participated in a full day of training workshop sessions including wet felting, labyrinth walking meditation and hand-stitching, conducted by socially engaged community artists, including Melinda Schwakhofer and Just Sewn Stories.
- Plymouth Marjon University, where they met with administrators, faculty, and students. They presented their research, the work they've done at Point Park and how SEL concepts are being incorporated into School of Education coursework.
In the Q&A below, learn more about their trip and how they plan to share their work with the Point Park community.
Was there a moment from the trip that affirmed your research on SEL?
Dr. Revilla Beltrán: The entire journey affirmed our research and work in SEL, mental health and overall well-being. Our extensive meetings and intense discussions with teachers and practitioners from such a wide range of organizations expanded our knowledge and informed our professional practice in so many ways. One valuable benefit has been a great interest in exploring mutually beneficial collaborations with many of the people we met during our travels. We are excited to see how these collaborations may develop in the months ahead.
Dr. Edmunds: My career as an educator has revolved around two primary questions: What philosophies and practices are guiding the classroom experiences that we are creating for our students, and are these philosophies and practices “the best” as defined by developmental theory and the holistic development of children?
It was an amazing experience for me to see, in person, philosophies that I have studied for decades. Having the opportunity to see the Running Deer School and Sands School in action, speak with administrators and faculty and observe the students deepened my understanding and appreciation for alternative models. We were introduced to teachers with whom we are continuing conversations about collaborative work in the future.
What takeaways from the trip do you look forward to sharing with Point Park students and faculty?
Prior to our trip, we hosted a Higher Education Social Emotional Learning Community Practice event on Point Park's campus, during which faculty from local universities and students discussed research-based best practices in social emotional learning, and we highlighted the work we are doing at Point Park in Youth Mental Health First Aid. We were working on the development of a new Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Endorsement in Social, Emotional and Behavioral Wellness of PreK-12 students, which was approved by PDE in March, shortly before we left for England. Networking with faculty and other community partners deepens our commitment to social emotional learning and well-being and its connection to literature and the arts.
This trip was an extension of that work and those connections. We look forward to sharing our experiences with students and faculty in the upcoming academic year, starting with the C.A.R.E. (Collaboration, Advocacy, Research and Education) Wellness Symposium in collaboration with professors Kamryn York, Ed.D., and Richard Gutkind, Ph.D., on August 24. The symposium will bring local educators to Point Park's campus to learn about addressing trauma and its impact on student learning, mental health and well-being and the importance of community connections and the arts. We also plan to offer the Point Park community a meditative hand-stitching workshop inspired by our experiences in England.
The School of Education’s mantra is “Who you are is how you lead.” How does your work related to SEL connect to that?
Our ongoing research in SEL, mental health and well-being informs our professional practice as professors, trainers and collaborators with community partners in western Pennsylvania and now in England. As leaders in the field, we are modeling best practices for Point Park students and forging new opportunities for collaboration with mental health professionals and faculty from other universities in the U.S. and the U.K.
Learn more about the School of Education:
- "Good for Your Brain": Dungeons & Dragons Camp Ignites Students' Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills
- Student Q&A: Educational Theories and Practices Course Opens Elementary Education Major Up to a World of Possibilities
- School of Education Alumnus Mark Bonacci is Dean of West Mifflin Area School District
- With Two On-Campus Maker Spaces, Point Park University's School of Education Builds Meaningful Classroom Experiences