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Education Overview


Latest Awards & Grants

In March, 2014, the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving Program was the recipient of the Connie Strand Memorial Award for Program Excellence by the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Committee. The award was given for services that combined training in Social Decision Making skills with computer assisted technology that was used to enhance the individualized depth of training. Learn more...

In September, 2013, the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving was identified as one of the top 23 evidence based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs in the country in an extensive national review published in 2013 CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs: Preschool and Elementary School Edition.

In 2013, the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving Program was invited by the NoVo Foundation to participate in the Growth and Scaling Grant program for Social Emotional Learning Program Providers.

In 2014, the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving Program in collaboration with Dr. Steve Silverstein has been funded by the New Jersey Department of Juvenile Drug and Alcohol Prevention for a titled New Jersey Substance Abuse Prevention.

Other Awards

In 2014, SDM/PS was recognized by the Canadian Best Practices Portal for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Best Practices and Innovative Intervention.

In 2014, SDM/PS was recognized by the Crime Solutions.gov National Institute for Justice Resource Center (Social Decision Making/Problem Solving is already listed in the OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide, which pre-dates Crime Solutions. Both model programs lists will be maintained by the National Institute for Justice due to new selection and review criteria established for CrimeSolutions.gov.).

In 2014, SDM/PS was recognized in Emotionally Friendly Schools: Evidence Based Programmes, Salford Educational Psychology Services, Worsley, M28 2LY (UK Clearinghouse).

In 2003, the SDM/PS Program was identified as one of twenty "select" social & emotional learning programs out of an extensive research study of 242 programs with evidence of effectiveness. The study was conducted over a three-year period by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U. S. Department of Education. The publication, Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader's Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs is designed as a resource for school administrators.

In 2001, the SDM/PS Program was designated a Promising Program by the Expert Panel on Safe and Drug Free Schools of the United States Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

In 2000, the SDM/PS Program was designated a Character of Education Program of Merit by the Character Education Partnership in Washington, DC, and by the New Jersey Department of Education's Character Education Partnership.

In 1998, the SDM/PS Program received "Exemplary Program" designation from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of School Psychologists' Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice.

In 1997, the SDM/PS Program was designated as a Model Program by the National Education Goals Panel of Goals 2001.

In 1995, the SDM/PS Program was recognized as a model program to promote emotional intelligence in schools by Daniel Goleman in his national best-selling book entitled, Emotional Intelligence.

In 1989, the SDM/PS Program was validated as a National Program of Excellence in Education by the Program Effectiveness Panel of the National Diffusion Network of the U. S. Department of Education. The program has also received revalidation.

In 1988, the SDM/PS program received the 1988 National Lela Rowland Prevention Award as an Outstanding Prevention Research Program in the United States from the National Mental Health Association. The program was also designated as a Statewide Model Program for Substance Abuse Prevention at the Elementary and Secondary School Level by the New Jersey Department of Education in that same year.