In honor of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Week, ACT spoke with Stephanie Costner, chief education and innovation officer at New York Edge, one of the largest after-school program providers in New York City and the metropolitan region, about the power of SEL in shaping students’ success. In this post, Stephanie shares insights on what SEL means, why it’s essential for all students, and how it can be transformative, especially in underserved communities.Q1: How do you define SEL, and why do you think it’s critical in today’s educational landscape?
People often misunderstand social-emotional learning (SEL) as a remedial tool for “fixing” kids. But in reality, it’s about empowering all students
¾ regardless of background
¾ to thrive in a world that demands far more than academic mastery. At its core, SEL is universal. It’s the practice of equipping young people with skills to navigate setbacks, build healthy relationships, and advocate for themselves. However, SEL becomes a critical amplifier of resilience in communities where systemic barriers to success compound everyday challenges
¾ like traditionally underserved schools or neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by crises.
Let’s reframe the conversation. CASEL’s framework (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, etc.) isn’t a response to deficit; it’s an investment in agency. Picture a classroom where students learn to articulate their boundaries, collaborate across differences, or process disappointment without shame. These aren’t “soft skills”
¾ they’re the bedrock of lifelong success. And while every child benefits from SEL, its transformative power is magnified in environments where stressors like economic stability or systemic gaps add layers of complexity to growing up.
Why does SEL matter universally yet require nuance? All Kids Face Adversity ¾ But Not Equally: Anxiety, conflict, and self-doubt aren’t unique to any ZIP code. However, in communities like the Bronx
¾ where 55% of residents face high
housing vulnerability due to systemic underinvestment
¾ stressors are often layered and relentless. SEL doesn’t erase systemic gaps, but it does equip students to navigate them with clarity and confidence. For example, mindfulness practices help students manage test anxiety and process societal obstacles that impact their success without internalizing them as personal failures.
SEL Builds Bridges, Not Boxes: Too often, narratives about underserved communities focus on what’s lacking. We flip that script. Our programs emphasize student strengths: creativity, cultural pride, and collective problem-solving. Restorative circles, for instance, aren’t just conflict resolution tools
¾ they’re spaces where students practice leadership by guiding peers through tough conversations.
Data Informs, Humanity Transforms: Studies show SEL boosts grades and attendance, but the deeper impact lies in fostering belonging. In one Brooklyn school, SEL workshops led to a 40% drop in disciplinary referrals, not because kids became “compliant” but because they felt heard. When students trust adults to value their voices, engagement follows.
The Bigger Picture The pandemic didn’t create the youth mental health crisis
¾ it exposed fault lines that already existed. SEL is a proactive response, not a poverty intervention. It’s for the honor student paralyzed by perfectionism, the quiet kid struggling to make friends, and the teen grappling with societal barriers to opportunity. It’s for all students learning to say, “This is hard, but I’m not alone.”
At New York Edge, we reject narratives that reduce students to their challenges. SEL isn’t about “saving” kids
¾ it’s about partnering with them to build emotional tools that outlast any crisis. Whether a child’s biggest hurdle is a crowded apartment, a toxic friendship, or self-doubt, the goal remains the same: to ensure they leave our programs not just surviving but believing in their capacity to shape their futures.
Q2: What key experiences shaped your leadership style and commitment to social-emotional learning?
You don’t learn leadership from a textbook when you’re working in neighborhoods where hunger, homelessness, and hopelessness sit in the back of every classroom. My approach was forged in those spaces ¾Bronx school gyms doubling as after-school safe havens, Brooklyn cafeterias where kids did homework while waiting for a parent’s third-shift job to end. You start to see patterns: a seventh grader’s grades nosedive not because they’re lazy but because they’re sleeping in a shelter. A teen lashes out not because they’re “bad” but because they’re drowning in grief no one has time to name.
The pandemic didn’t just magnify these struggles¾it weaponized them. Kids who relied on schools for meals, safety, and connection were stranded overnight. We saw mental health crises explode¾24% more ER visits and suicide attempts doubled. But here’s what they don’t tell you in policy briefs: desperation has a sound. It’s the silence on the other end of a Zoom call when a student’s camera stays off because they’re ashamed of their living situation. It’s the tremor in a parent’s voice asking, “Will the after-school program still feed my child?” when everything else has collapsed.
Those moments don’t just “shape” you—they gut you. And then they force you to rebuild. Partnering with groups like Mosaic by ACT and the Home of Little Wanderers wasn’t about ticking collaboration boxes. It was about survival. Mosaic’s data showed us which kids were one panic attack away from dropping out; Little Wanderers taught us how to turn staff into lifelines with mental health first aid training. But data alone isn’t enough. You learn to listen to what isn’t said how a kid hesitates before admitting they can’t afford a MetroCard or how a parent’s exhaustion masks shame when asking for housing help.
Leadership here isn’t about grand visions. It’s about humility. It’s admitting you don’t have all the answers, then handing the mic to the teenager who says, “We need a quiet room, not more lectures.” It’s swapping punitive discipline for restorative chats where a kid explains, “I yelled because no one hears me at home.” And it’s realizing SEL isn’t a program you implement¾ it’s a language you learn fluently, so you can tell a struggling student, “I see you. Let’s figure this out together,” and mean it.
At ACT, we know that success is about more than academics¾it’s about equipping students with the skills they need to navigate challenges, build resilience, and thrive. That’s why we’re proud to highlight the work of organizations like New York Edge, which are making a difference through social-emotional learning.
Want to learn more? Explore how Mosaic by ACT takes a formative and comprehensive approach to building social-emotional skills for K-12 students and discover the impact of New York Edge’s programs on their website.
