Black SEL turned 5 this year! As we celebrate this milestone, we have been reflecting on the powerful things we have built together in community with you. Over the past 4 years, we have developed our very own race-based framework, hosted impactful conferences and conversations, launched new and innovative iterations of our Summer Institutes as we responded to feedback and the moment. We have continued to increase the impact of a strong and powerful Advocate program, launched our very first Hub at Hillside High School, and built strong teams and partnerships to do the good work. We have so much to celebrate! 

As we continue to celebrate this year, we are being deliberate about building on the foundation we have laid in community. While we are eager to bring back the biggest and best summit yet, we are making strategic and sustainable choices for our collective future by living into our framework and vision for liberation as a team. Part of that means investing in the infrastructure that will carry us forward, strengthening the systems, relationships, and internal capacity that make our work both sustainable and scalable. We are leaning into social emotional liberation by choosing to pause on our national summit this year, purposefully turning our focus toward our community stakeholders as we chart the path ahead, ensuring that everything we build is rooted in the voices and vision of the people we serve.

With an eye on the past wins, lessons and a commitment to the future of our work we move forward building a liberated world through Action, Power, and Sustainability.