For this Profile in Practice, we hear from David Adams. David is the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Assembly, a school support agency that develops learning tools and programs that enhance student growth and school performance. He started with the Urban Assembly in 2014 as the Director of Social-Emotional Learning, creating the Resilient Scholars Program (RSP), a unique approach to integrating SEL into curriculum and classroom practices across the Urban Assembly network. RSP has grown into a national program, serving schools and districts in Los Angeles, Houston, Syracuse, and other cities. In 2022, David was named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 honorees, and he received the 2021 Champion of Equity Award from the American Consortium for Equity in Education. David sits on the board of CASEL and is an author of The Educator’s Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence and a coauthor of the textbook Challenges to Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs in Organizations. He is a civil affairs officer in the Army Reserve and holds an M.Ed. in educational psychology from Fordham University.
