Centering Cultural Awareness and Community: Reimagining Social Emotional Learning for Equity and Inclusion

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Perspectives in Educational Leadership

Abstract

This presentation explores how nine school leaders in Washington, DC implemented Culturally Responsive Social Emotional Learning (CRSEL) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a phenomenological approach, four key themes emerged: community building, cultural awareness, empathy-informed practice, and elevating student voice. CRSEL bridges historical inequities and reimagines future possibilities by centering marginalized students’ identities. Findings highlight school leaders as pivotal change agents who move beyond traditional SEL to foster inclusive, culturally affirming environments. Implications include the need for professional development and policy support to sustain CRSEL practices. This work aligns with AERA’s annual theme by connecting “unforgotten” histories of exclusion with a future vision of educational justice and belonging.

Author

• Tarisai Lumumba-Umoja, DC Public Schools