The acronym SEL is often heard in education circles these days, including here at Des Moines Public Schools. It stands for social and emotional learning, and recognizes the success of students is about more than academics but also understanding their needs as human beings.

Dau Jok leads the SEL effort at DMPS. And he is now recognized as a national leader in that work. Jok was recently named to the very first group of members to the SEL Fellows Academy by CASEL, the national non-profit organization which founded the field of SEL.

“I am honored to be part of the inaugural CASEL Fellows Academy because of the community of SEL leaders—Fellows and CASEL staff—seeking to enhance SEL, especially Transformative SEL,” said Jok. “It is a privilege to engage with the experts in the field.”

According to CASEL, the urgency for social and emotional learning has never been greater as educators navigate complex challenges that emerged from this unprecedented year. Yet, there is an implementation gap. A 2021 report found just one in 10 teachers believe their schools are very successful at developing students’ social and emotional skills. To address this need, CASEL welcomed 31 school district and regional leaders from across the United States to join the new, annual fellowship that will accelerate SEL in school communities nationwide.

Made possible by The Allstate Foundation, the SEL Fellows Academy is a 12-month engagement that will deepen SEL leadership practices on a personal, interpersonal, and institutional level. Those responsible for advancing SEL in school districts and regional offices of education were invited to apply. The inaugural cohort welcomes representatives from 31 communities in 17 states that collectively serve close to 1.6 million students, preschool to high school. Their applications showed both an impressive personal and institutional commitment to SEL.

“At DMPS, we are embarking on Transformative SEL, looking at not just traditional SEL but ways we can create equitable and thriving school communities,” added Jok. “We are a district of more than 32,000 students and 5,000 staff representing more than 88 countries and 100 spoken languages, this diversity only matters if we address inequities, uplift the lived experiences and humanity of each student, staff, and family in our school communities.”

Jok brings a unique life experience to his work at DMPS. A native of South Sudan, his family came to Iowa in 2003 as refugees fleeing the war in his home nation. A graduate of Roosevelt High School, Jok went on to receive an Ivy League education as a student and basketball player at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He also serve his new nation as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves. Jok has also earned a Masters of Science in Global Leadership from Goldsmiths, University of London as well as a PhD in education from Drake University.

“SEL is not just something you do to kids, it is a catalyst that ensures our students can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially while creating a flourishing work environment for our staff,” said Jok. “It is meeting the emotional needs of our people with humanity and curiosity instead of judgment and single story; empowering our students to have voice, agency, and be co-creators of the learning environment; celebrating the authenticity and uniqueness of our diversity; addressing social inequities that harm certain populations of our communities such as racism, sexism, classism, Islamophobia, homophobia, etc. DMPS is only great if we uplift the voices of the historically marginalized while challenging anything that harms instead of healing. We want to graduate leaders who can compete and excel in the global economy.”