CHICAGO — Gov. Tony Evers on Nov 12th, attended the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) 2024 SEL Exchange conference in Chicago to accept the Ann S. Nerad Award for Distinguished Contributions to Advance Policies for Social and Emotional Learning. The annual CASEL conference and awards ceremony recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals in the field of social and emotional learning (SEL) and presents annual SEL Leaders of the Year (SELLY) awards in research, practice, and public policy. 

“I am incredibly honored to be receiving this award alongside so many educational trailblazers and leaders who are being recognized for their commitment to the social and emotional development of our kids,” said Gov. Evers. “I’ve spent most of my life in schools and fighting for kids—once you’re an educator, you’re always an educator, and that’s something I carry with me in everything that I do.  

“From my time as state superintendent of public instruction to my role as governor today, I’ve been proud to champion the importance of social and emotional learning—a commitment shared by my wife Kathy as well in her work as First Lady—and together with dedicated education partners like CASEL, we will continue our work to do what’s best for kids’ learning, growth, and well-being.”

“On this special milestone of CASEL’s 30th anniversary, we are thrilled to honor a remarkable group of leaders whose dedication has shaped and strengthened the field of social and emotional learning,” said CASEL President and CEO, Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel. “These SELLY Award recipients have demonstrated the profound impact that committed educators, students, parents, and community leaders can make in fostering environments where all young people thrive— academically, socially, and emotionally. With the addition of the James P. Comer and Timothy P. Shriver awards, we’re proud to honor two of the earliest pioneers in the field, and award those who represent the future of SEL and education.”

Gov. Evers has been a longtime champion of social and emotional learning throughout his career. As Wisconsin state superintendent of public instruction, in 2018, Gov. Evers launched the state’s first SEL guide, with the goal of incorporating SEL practices into educators’ lesson plans, using them as part of classroom management skills, and infusing them into the culture of Wisconsin’s schools. Under his leadership as governor, Gov. Evers has continued his support of SEL education, and most recently, approved a more than $1 million investment in the 2023-25 biennial budget to fund SEL training and technical assistance for child care providers to reduce instances of kids being removed from daycare for behavioral issues. Additionally, Gov. Evers proclaimed March 8, 2024, as “Social Emotional Learning Day” in Wisconsin. A copy of the governor’s 2024 Social Emotional Learning Day proclamation is available here.

Similarly, First Lady Kathy Evers has made supporting SEL in early education a central platform in her work as Wisconsin’s first lady. First Lady Evers has partnered with Wisconsin’s Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) and visited a number of successful SEL early childhood education programs in Wisconsin, as well as participated in virtual events and listening sessions with partners to connect the dots between agencies and sectors. Thanks in part to the work of the first lady, Wisconsin received a $35,000 grant from the National Governor’s Association to conduct a series of focus groups around parent and family engagement to help increase the mental, social, and emotional well-being of kids and families, as well as to create a template for schools to use to engage parents around new and ongoing social and emotional learning efforts with an emphasis on equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

The benefits of SEL are widely studied, and according to CASEL, when students have supportive relationships and opportunities to develop and practice social, emotional, and cognitive skills across many different contexts, academic learning accelerates. CASEL has shared research that demonstrates students participating in SEL at school have higher levels of “school functioning,” as reflected by their grades, test scores, attendance, and homework completion, and SEL has also been seen to promote positive attitudes about one’s self and others, enhance youth’s coping skills, resiliency, and emotion identification, and reduce bullying and aggression amongst kids.  

According to OCMH, 93 percent of Wisconsin’s educators want a greater focus on social-emotional learning in schools, with many educators believing that these skills are teachable and would like schools to prioritize the integration of social emotional learning practices and strategies, and 81 percent of parents and guardians believe that SEL is just as important as academic learning. Similarly, according to a variety of indicators, most recent high school students believe a more positive school environment could be created if SEL programs were added to the curriculum.   

Bolstering SEL programs and resources in schools can also be critical for addressing the multitude of mental health challenges facing kids today, as according to the 2023 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey created by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, more than half of students are struggling with anxiety in Wisconsin, more than one in three students reported experiencing depression, and one in five students reported non-suicidal self-harm. For students who identify as LGBTQ, these rates are even more troubling.

In addition to supporting investments in SEL, Gov. Evers has also made investing in youth mental health one of the cornerstone priorities of his administration. In December 2021, Gov. Evers directed a share of the state’s pandemic relief funds to invest $110 million in Wisconsin kids and schools, allowing schools to hire additional educators and staff, provide more educational and extracurricular opportunities, and invest in mental health supports. In addition, as part of his 2022 State of the State address, Gov. Evers announced he would be investing $15 million into a new “Get Kids Ahead” initiative to provide school-based mental health supports and services for nearly every school district in the state. In August 2022, Gov. Evers announced he would be doubling his investment in “Get Kids Ahead,” bringing his total investment to $30 million. Finally, as part of the 2023-25 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers in 2023, the governor directed an additional $30 million to continue funding for school-based mental health modeled on the Get Kids Ahead” initiative.

CASEL has been a longtime partner of the state in improving and advocating for Wisconsin’s education system. More information on CASEL’s partnership with Wisconsin is available on their website here.

More information on Wisconsin’s SEL guide, initiatives, and investments is available at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s SEL webpage here.