Social-emotional learning is an essential building block of child development. During the past few months, we have faced the immense challenge of giving children opportunities to build community and feel a sense of belonging while separated from others. SEL plays a huge role in early childhood education (ECE) and must be embedded into every interaction we have with our students/children.

About the Presenter:

Mika is an anti-racist and anti-bias educator, social-emotional learning (SEL) specialist, education consultant, and nonprofit advisor. Mika has worked with hundreds of students and families in marginalized communities as a Teach For America Chicago Head Start teacher, a KIPP Foundation school founder in Los Angeles, and a program director at MindUP | The Goldie Hawn Foundation. She is an advisory council member of Pánfila Domestic Violence HOPE Foundation and a 2020 Leadership For Educational Equity Public Leaders Fellow. Mika holds 3 professional teaching licenses in Illinois and California, a bachelor’s degree in K-12 Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a master’s degree in Education from Dominican University.