Recognizing the importance of building robust communities of practice that provide the greatest positive impact through deep and sustained work across the education spectrum, Western Governors University’s (WGU) Teachers College is catalyzing this work by supporting the creation of a virtual Center for Healthy Learning. The goal is to create a center of gravity for pulling energy and expertise together around the needs of students and educators as it relates to five primary critical healthy-learning focus areas that are key drivers of student academic, professional, and personal success. While we fully realize this list may expand, we are beginning our work with this set. We believe these five pillars are essential for supporting successful, equitable, and thriving environments of healthy learning. While each of these are powerful concepts alone, it is through the collective strength of these pillars that we will see the most stabilizing, supportive, and positive impact on healthy learning environments.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Character education
Mental health
Basic needs

To begin this work, we will bring together Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), community colleges, access-focused universities, and public-school districts committed to this work. The founding partners in this work will have demonstrated success in at least one of the five pillars that comprise the Center, and each has strong leadership dedicated to advancing this work. Going forward, The Center for Healthy Learning and her member institutions will strive to catalyze research, reflection, policy, and practice in these five areas to help ensure that more students in access institutions can flourish in their education and as a result, in their lives.

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Leading together toward healthy learning

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