Nurturing Social-Emotional Learning through Early Career Education

Succeeding at making the younger generation more ready to cope with the many working and life challenges of our time is no doubt a significant goal of education, particularly during a time characterized by high levels of uncertainty and precariousness.

This goal is shared by scholars in the field of career guidance and counseling, who have called for greater attention to early career education efforts.

Taking into consideration recent models of career development, and more specifically the Concepts of Career Choice and Attainment (CCCA) model, we have developed a holistic approach to youth development that connects the nature of development in the domains of social emotional learning (SEL) and career/future readiness (the SELCE model). SEL has, in fact, been recognized by youth-focused professionals as a sine qua non of school education for its preventive benefits and positive outcomes.

The SELCE model asserts that children and youth are better supported when we provide education in both domains in an integrated way.

In this webinar, we will first examine possible links between development in the SEL and career domains. Integrating a model of SEL with models of childhood career competencies and career-related reasoning offers a new understanding of how social-emotional experiences and competencies are reflected in children’s career development processes. Second, strategies for educators to incorporate this integrated model into their classroom practices will be described. Finally, examples of training programs will be discussed.

Kimberly A. S. Howard is a Professor of Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development at Boston University, where she serves as training director of the Counseling Psychology PhD program and supports the preparation of psychologists, school counselors, and mental health counselors. Having spent decades working with k-12 schools, Kimberly believes that counseling psychologists can play an important role in supporting and improving public education and the school experiences of children and youth.

Kimberly’s research on the reasoning processes used by children and youth to understand career development processes has won awards for its innovative contribution to the field and has been applied across the world to support the positive career development of students. In addition to being a Fellow of the Society of Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association, Kimberly is a member of the Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education

Lea Ferrari, PhD. She is an associate professor in psychology at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Italy. She teaches Psychology of disability and inclusion, Managing diversity in working contexts, Career counseling and vocational guidance in multicultural contexts.

Her teaching and research efforts concern the field of positive development and social and emotional learning from early ages with a focus on nurturing resources and talents to promote flourishing in career and life. Attention is devoted to variables, processes and programs that promote the full participation and well-being especially in children and adults who experience disability and vulnerable conditions.

She serves as member of the board of the Nice Foundation and as President Elect of IAAP Counseling Division 16.