Project Coordinator

Company Description

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The Ecological Approaches to Social Emotional Learning (EASEL) Lab, led by Professor Stephanie M. Jones and Associate Director Rebecca Bailey, seeks a full‑time Project Coordinator to support our team in the Human Development and Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The EASEL Lab explores the effects of high‑quality social‑emotional interventions on the development of children, youth, teachers, parents, and communities.

Our projects aim to advance the field of social and emotional learning (SEL) through research, practice, and policy. Currently the EASEL Lab is working on a 3‑year grant from the LEGO Foundation to adapt SEL Kernels for use with preschool and primary school‑age children in Ukraine. Working closely with a team of LEGO Foundation Master Trainers who are based in Ukraine and in collaboration with the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and regional teacher training institutions, we have adapted, piloted, and are now scaling Play‑Based SEL Kernels across the country, while conducting implementation and impact research.

The goal of the partnership is to provide essential supports to young children and educators in Ukraine, while studying the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach, which may be useful in other crisis contexts. In a second partnership with Boston‑based non‑profit the Alliance for Inclusion and Prevention (AIP), the EASEL Lab is developing, implementing, and evaluating a new set of trauma‑informed SEL Kernels, which are designed to be used by elementary school teachers and school‑based counselors across multi‑tiered systems of support.

The trauma‑informed Kernels are currently being implemented in two large school districts in Massachusetts, with the possibility of expanding to other sites.

The Project Coordinator will work closely with two project teams to ensure the successful completion of grant‑specific milestones and deliverables. This position will collaborate with Senior Researchers, EASEL Lab Research Managers, Data Analysts, and field‑based partners to execute all project activities, including the development and adaptation of SEL content and multi‑media materials; the design and delivery of teacher training, monitoring tools, and implementation supports;

administrative tasks such as contracting and coordinating with vendors; research activities including data collection, cleaning and analysis; grant reporting and project‑related writing; and other project tasks. The Project Coordinator may also support the EASEL Lab in other research, programmatic, or administrative tasks as needed. This is a seven‑month (February 1 – August 31, 2026) term position with possibility for renewal.

• Creating, adapting, and refining SEL Kernels and related materials based on local feedback (classroom games and activities, teacher training slides and facilitation materials, implementation supports and tips/guidance)
• Coordinating SEL Kernels rollout activities (updating the Kernels Ukraine website, maintaining and monitoring the Kernels Ukraine Facebook Group, helping to design and lead virtual…