The Three R’s – Message From the CEO
January 17, 2019During his tenure at Goucher College, President Jose Antonio Bowen has introduced a new meaning to “the three R’s.” Rather than the old school – reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic, Goucher promotes learning based on relationships, resilience, and reflection. President Bowen will have more to say on this in the book he is writing, but essentially, he believes that crucial to a student’s learning in college and beyond are personal connections, persistence and adaptability, and self-awareness.
These same core skills and experiences are essential to pre-college learning, from the earliest pre-K through grade 12. Over the past two years, the Aspen Institute has convened a National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, to explore what constitutes learning for the whole child. On Tuesday, the commission released its final report, “From a Nation at Risk to A Nation at Hope,” with recommendations for how learning can succeed in ensuring each child can achieve well-being. The National Human Services Assembly has been privileged to be a partner in discussions involving youth development organizations and how we all contribute to and can model the social and emotional development of a child. The commission’s work has been an expansive process and the report is worth your time (see below for more information).
Now comes the hard part, when the discussion moves out of academia, research, and thinking, to implementation. In the human service sector we know the value of taking a holistic approach to youth development, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in education and elsewhere as we prepare our children to thrive in their own lives and to become contributing members of society to the betterment of all of us.
Lee Sherman, President & CEO