Issue

Whole Child Education

Related Projects

Decades of research have demonstrated the need for an education system that recognizes the connections between children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development, as well as their physical and mental health.

A “whole child” education prioritizes the full scope of a child’s developmental needs as a way to advance educational equity and ensure that every child reaches their fullest potential. A whole child approach understands that students' education and life outcomes are dependent upon their access to deeper learning opportunities in and out of school, as well as their school environment and relationships.

Shifting toward a whole child education has far-reaching implications if education systems are to promote children’s learning, well-being, and healthy development. This includes designing learning environments to support the whole child; developing curriculum, instruction, and assessments for deeper learning; preparing educators for whole child practice; and changing policy and systems to support the whole child.

Illustration by Grady Fike, courtesy of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Resources

Designing Learning Environments to Support the Whole Child

Developing Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessments for Deeper Learning

Preparing Educators for Whole Child Practice

Changing Policy and Systems to Support the Whole Child

 

Funders

Stuart Foundation, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Pure Edge, Sanford Institute of Philanthropy, Carnegie Corporation of New York, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Photo courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action.

Featured Resources

Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success
Report

Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success

Sep 07 2018
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Each year in the United States, 46 million children are exposed to violence, crime, abuse, homelessness, or food insecurity—experiences that can affect attention, learning, and behavior. This report looks at neuroscience, science of learning, and child development research on whole child approaches to education that improve learning for all students, especially those living with trauma.
Report

Deeper Learning Networks: Taking Student-Centered Learning and Equity to Scale

Oct 21 2019
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A hallmark of deeper learning is students’ ability to apply their knowledge to new situations and complex problems. Big Picture Learning, Internationals Network for Public Schools, and New Tech Network have successfully instantiated, sustained, and spread deeper learning practices in ways that advance equity in schools across the nation. A deep look into their systems and structures reveals common threads, including rethinking structures and relationships in schools, collaboration, professional learning, leadership development, and continual improvement.
Teachers and students at Bronxdale High School
Report

Teaching the Way Students Learn Best

Oct 01 2019
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Most students at New York’s Bronxdale High School enter 9th grade achieving well below proficiency levels on standardized tests, yet they end up outperforming their peers and city averages in credit accrual, graduation rates, and enrollment in postsecondary education. Educators at Bronxdale teach the way students learn best by tightly weaving  social and emotional skills and academic mindsets with academic learning in a safe, caring and collaborative learning environment.