Dave attributes much of his success not only to hard work and opportunity, but to the social and emotional competencies he developed throughout his life, qualities such as integrity, trust, resilience, communication, empathy, and the ability to build meaningful relationships.

As artificial intelligence continues to transform how we live, work, learn and lead, the qualities that make us uniquely human have never been more important. While technology will continue to shape the future, our capacity for empathy, ethical decision making, collaboration, creativity, resilience, and meaningful relationships will define how we thrive. These essential human capacities should not be left to chance, they need to be intentionally nurtured in every child and young person.

Inspired by this vision, the Werklund Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence exists to help every child, adult and leader develop the social, emotional, and human skills needed to thrive in school, in life, and in an increasingly complex world. We believe that education offers the greatest opportunity to reach all children and create lasting, generational impact.

Working alongside system leaders, educators, students, families, workplaces, and communities, the Institute supports the implementation of evidence-informed approaches that foster social and emotional learning, emotional intelligence, mental well-being, belonging, resilience, and human flourishing. Together, we are helping create schools where every child can realize their potential, develop meaningful relationships, and contribute positively to their communities, while also supporting organizations to cultivate leaders and workplaces where technological excellence is strengthened by essential human capacities. 

In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, we believe the future belongs to those who pair technological excellence with the uniquely human capacities of empathy, emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, collaboration, resilience, adaptability, and meaningful connection.