ISCA SEL Leadership Institute
ISCA SEL Leadership Institute: A Strategic Approach to SEL Implementation
Date: September 17–18, 2026
Location: International School of Amsterdam
The SEL Leadership Institute is a focused, deep-learning experience for school leaders who are responsible for leading coherent, school-wide social-emotional learning (SEL).
It is designed to help leaders move beyond fragmented initiatives toward
a shared vision, common language, and aligned approach to SEL—grounded in research, informed by global goals around flourishing and wellbeing, and oriented toward the future of education.
At the core of the institute are 10 leadership tools from the ISCA SEL Toolkit. Participants experience each tool as learners and leaders, building the clarity and confidence needed to take them back to their schools and use them to guide teams, decisions, and next steps.
What to Expect
An at-a-glance guide to the learning outcomes, collaborative experience, and what this institute is—and isn’t.
Participants build the foundation required for school-wide SEL by:
- Developing a shared understanding of SEL that goes beyond competencies to include life skills, dispositions, and developmental expectations
- Exploring granular look-fors for social-emotional skill development across age and stage
- Deepening understanding of the ISCA Student Standards as high expectations for all learners—and examining their potential for curriculum design, assessment, and instruction
- Clarifying shared responsibility for SEL, including roles and responsibilities across leadership, teaching, counseling, and support staff
- Analyzing school mission, vision, and core values to identify authentic connections to SEL and articulate what it looks like when students are living the mission
- Using diagnostic tools to assess a school’s current state and readiness to implement the ISCA Student Standards
- Identifying potential barriers to system-wide SEL and planning proactively for sustainable implementation
- Drafting a clear, school-specific SEL implementation plan to take back to your community
SEL practices are modeled throughout the institute, allowing participants to experience the kinds of learning environments they are working to create in their schools.
A defining feature of the institute is the opportunity to learn alongside other school leaders. Participants consistently report that the space for collaboration, thought partnership, and shared problem-solving strengthens their thinking and helps make this complex work feel clear, concrete, and doable.
The institute demystifies what it actually takes to lead SEL well—showing how this work must be led intentionally, collectively, and systemically.
- Not a curriculum or program adoption
- Not a collection of classroom strategies or standalone lessons
- Not a counselor-only or teacher-only training
- Not an introductory overview of SEL
This institute is designed for decision-makers and leadership teams ready to align their school around the ISCA Student Standards and lead SEL as a core part of how the school functions.
Watch: Moments from the last Institute in Bangkok, Thailand
Step inside the ISCA SEL Leadership Institute held in Bangkok on November 21–22, 2025, and experience the momentum, purpose, and collective energy that defined these two unforgettable days. This highlight video brings to life the powerful moments when educators, counselors, and school leaders came together with a shared mission: to transform student well-being through intentional, school-wide SEL.
Connection to the ISCA Student Standards
This institute supports leaders in using the ISCA Student Standards as a coherent framework for school-wide SEL. The SEL Leadership Institute builds leaders’ capacity to create the conditions in which all students can develop the social and emotional skills articulated in the ISCA Student Standards.
As a result, leaders are better equipped to ensure that students experience consistent, intentional opportunities to develop the skills needed to learn, belong, contribute, and flourish.
Location
The ISCA SEL Leadership Institute will be held at the International School of Amsterdam.
Accommodation
To help you plan your trip, the host school has compiled a list of recommended hotels and transportation options. Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodations and travel.
Access the ISCA Student Standards
To support your SEL implementation, we encourage you to explore the ISCA Student Standards on our ISCA Publications website. You can access the standards, including the free Academic Domain, by setting up a free account.
About the Facilitators
Brooke Fezler, M.A. in Counseling, is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the International School Counselor Association (ISCA), drawing upon her extensive experience in international school counseling. Since 2005, she has worked in schools across five countries, making a significant impact on student success through effective coordination of school-wide initiatives and promotion of comprehensive counseling programs. Brooke is also an adjunct professor at Lehigh University, sharing her expertise with aspiring counselors. As a co-developer of the International Model for School Counseling Programs in 2011 and 2022, she has contributed to advancing the field. Her dedication to education and multifaceted involvement as a Co-Founder, Director, adjunct professor, and author make her an invaluable asset to ISCA and the international school counseling community.
Kristine Mizzone is the Learning and Development Coordinator for the International School Counselor Association (ISCA). She is also an educational consultant supporting schools in the areas of social emotional learning (SEL) and organizational leadership. She has served as both a teacher and school leader for nearly two decades in US public schools and private international schools. Most recently, Kristine served as the Director of Learning at Benjamin Franklin International School in Barcelona, Spain. Prior to that, she was the Curriculum and Professional Learning Coordinator at the International School of Beijing, China. She currently resides in Bangkok, Thailand.
Essential Learning
- What does high-quality, school-wide SEL look like when it is led intentionally and systemically?
- What shared language and developmental look-fors are needed to align SEL across roles, divisions, and classrooms?
- How does our school’s mission, vision, and core values come to life through students’ social and emotional skills?
- What structures, roles, and conditions must be in place to sustainably implement school-wide SEL?
- School-Wide SEL Foundations
Understanding SEL as a system—beyond programs and initiatives—and what it takes to lead it coherently across a school. - ISCA Student Standards and Learning Progression
Deep knowledge of the standards as high expectations for all learners and their potential to guide curriculum design, assessment, and instruction. - Developmental Look-Fors for SEL
Insight into how social and emotional skills develop over time and what growth looks like at different developmental stages,using the ISCA Student Standards Learning Progression. - Shared Responsibility for SEL
Understanding how SEL is distributed across leadership, teachers, counselors, and support staff, and why alignment matters. - Systems Readiness and Barriers
Awareness of common barriers to system-wide SEL implementation and the conditions that support sustainable change. - SEL, Flourishing, and the Future of Education
Understanding how SEL connects to global goals around wellbeing, flourishing, and future-ready education.
- Articulate a Clear Vision for SEL
- Use ISCA SEL Toolkit Leadership Tools
- Assess School-Wide SEL Readiness
- Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
- Connect SEL to School Identity
- Plan for Sustainable Implementation
- Lead SEL as Both Learner and Leader
Registration and Costs:
The pricing below is listed per person.
| ISCA Member at your school | ISCA Non-Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Early Bird (by April 1, 2026) | $560/pp | $640/pp |
| Regular (from April 2, 2026) | $640/pp | $720/pp |
| ++SEL Toolkit & ISCA Learning Progression Pricing is based on the size of your school (e.g., small, medium, large, etc., based on the number of students). | $400 - $1,000 | $400 - $1,000 |
**Registration costs include coffee and snack breaks during the training, lunches, and beverages. They do not include accommodations or transportation to the training site.
Ideal Audience for This Training:
- SEL Implementation Teams
- Curriculum Leaders
- School Leaders
- Counselors
- Advisory Teams
- Principals and Assistant Principals
Empowering your team with a shared vision and clear direction is essential for sustainable, schoolwide SEL.
We highly encourage you to attend with your team to maximize impact and implementation!
Photo Gallery: ISCA SEL Institute in Bangkok, Thailand 2025
Browse highlights from group work, facilitator sessions, and team planning throughout the Institute.
