Author: SEL+ Admin

Village Talks Ep. 9 — Devord Allen on Awakening the Dreamer Within Our Communities

https://youtu.be/Cmw9WDAPMdE Got it đź‘Ť — here is the corrected blog post, with the guest’s name updated everywhere to Devord. Village Talks Ep. 9: Awakening the Dreamer Within Our Communities Some conversations don’t start with credentials or titles.They start with real talk. When I first met Devord, we didn’t exchange rĂ©sumĂ©s. We didn’t lead with organizations or accolades. What we […]

Village Talks Ep. 8 — Mark Chassman on Building Places, People, and Pathways

https://youtu.be/h5aF5FrnYPM Village Talks — Mark Chassman on Building Places, People, and Pathways in North Chicago What’s up, Village – Damien here! Episode 8 felt like a beginning. I’m talking new-start energy — and there’s no one I’d rather have on this conversation than my friend Mark Chassman. We’ve known each other for 13 years; he’s […]

Village Talks Ep. 6 – Pam Schilling on Preparing Young People for What’s Next

https://youtu.be/DaGZIQ9ejyM Village Talks — Pam Schilling on Mentorship, Nonlinear Careers, and Preparing Young People for What’s Next What is up, Village—Damien here. You know I come into these conversations easily excitable, but this one really hit home. I got to sit down with my friend Pam Schilling, someone I met through the edtech/entrepreneurship space here in […]

Village Talks Ep. 5 — Karen Van Ausdal on A Chicago Built to Thrive

https://youtu.be/_rBSAuZ3ugs Village Talks Ep. 5 — Karen Van Ausdal on SEL, Ecosystems, and a Chicago Built to Thrive What’s up, Village—Damien here. You know I get excited about every conversation, but today hits different. I sat down with Karen Van Ausdal—teacher turned system-builder, former head of CPS’s Office of Social Emotional Learning, longtime national leader with CASEL, […]

Village Talks Ep. 4 — Cliff Goins on Wealth, Nonprofits, and Building a Real Village

https://youtu.be/VrzFyR9tDZs Village Talks Ep. 4 — Cliff Goins on Wealth, Nonprofits, and Building a Real Village What’s up, fam—Damien here. Today’s conversation hit me in the gut (in the best way). My brother Cliff Goins IV—South Side native, Whitney Young alum, investor, and author—joins Village Talks to get real about economic agency, nonprofit clarity, and how the village […]

Village Talks Ep. 3 — “Be who you’re here to be.” A Conversation with Youth Strategist Patricia Wicks

https://youtu.be/v281cHqhPo0 Village Talks Ep. 3 — “Be who you’re here to be.” A Conversation with Youth Strategist Patricia Wicks What’s up, fam—Damien here. If you’ve been rocking with Village Talks, you already know the heart: bring the village together so our young people don’t just survive—they thrive. The more we connect, share tools, and tell […]

Village Talks Ep. 2: Building Bridges Between Nonprofit & For-Profit with Vince Edwards

https://youtu.be/1LhixbvlFp4 “It takes a village to raise a child.” That African proverb shaped this week’s conversation on Village Talks, where we explored what it means to mobilize the power of community—not just in words, but through strategic partnerships and innovative ideas. I sat down with Vincent Edwards, a seasoned entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of the Empire Builders Foundation, to […]

AI, Equity, and the Urgency to Personalize K–12 Learning

Hi, I’m Damien Howard—educator, community builder, and founder of SELvie.I’ve spent the last two decades working alongside students and mentors, especially in under-resourced schools. And let me tell you plainly: our current system is not built to personalize learning at scale. The ProblemStudents are falling through the cracks.âś… 40% of Black students in Illinois are chronically […]

Introducing SELvie

https://sel-plus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/072ff37-a8c-20c-5a7c-6ab5c160d620_IMG_0438.mov Introducing SELvie: Intelligent Mentoring for Real Change “I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” – Denzel Washington Across the country, schools and communities are in crisis. Students are falling behind academically, emotionally, and socially. […]