Nick Haisman-Smith

Nick is an education leader and researcher whose work in the field of SEL reflects passion to support the wellbeing and success of young people, teachers and schools worldwide.

His work at IFSEL builds on fifteen years experience as an educator and non-profit leader in the US, UK and South Africa. As an educator, Nick specialised in teaching SEL in upper elementary, middle and high schools. He has been an Advisor and Advisory Coordinator and is rarely happier than when working to build engaging and sustainable Advisory Programs with schools.

His work includes the development of new SEL curricula including themes such as self-advocacy, growth mindset, media, digital citizenship, the adolescent brain, and the introversion/extraversion spectrum. Nick is passionate about issues of equity and inclusion with a particular focus on the LGBTQ+ community.

As a teacher-educator and speaker, Nick has given workshops and presentations at The Sunday Times Festival of Education, Talks at Google, the launch of the OECD Pisa Report on Student Wellbeing, and Ambition School Leadership. Nick has also led professional development workshops for over 4000 educators, and lectured at some of the UK and US’s top teacher training colleges.

As a non-profit leader in the UK, Nick was the CEO of Family Links, one of the UK’s leading emotional health charities. While at Family Links, Nick had the privilege of working with colleagues at Canterbury Christ Church University to co-create one of the UK’s first Post-Graduate Certificates in Social and Emotional Learning.

Elizabeth McLeod

Elizabeth directs IFSEL’s Consulting and Schools Program which provides professional learning for schools and districts nationally and worldwide. Elizabeth is passionate about supporting educators and brings decades of experience teaching, developing programs, consulting on strategy and systems work, and leading learning organizations through all stages of growth. Prior to her work at IFSEL, Elizabeth co-founded and served as  Executive Director at GirlVentures, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring adolescent girls to develop leadership and social emotional learning through outdoor adventure, creative arts, and collective action. Elizabeth has been a classroom teacher, SEL specialist, school counselor, wilderness instructor, and yoga/mindfulness teacher.  She is an avid reader and lifelong learner who has been studying SEL in various forms for decades. Elizabeth earned her M.Ed at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and teaching credentials from San Francisco State University; she’s certified to teach yoga, mindfulness, and nature-based meditation. All of these experiences, as well as her journey parenting two young adults and many rescue dogs,  inform her unique approach to working with young people, educators, schools, and districts.