Testimonials

It has been beneficial to have consistent feedback and support from our program manager as we develop and grow our SEL programming. Urban Assembly has helped us identify practical ways to embed more streamlined SEL practices throughout our school community.

Kayla Johnson, Community School Director, AFL

Each day I grow prouder of the UA and all that it has become. I was a founding student all through middle school and high school for an Urban Assembly school. While it feels like an eternity ago, UA has evolved much since then. The Alumni Success team has since been created and has branched out into the world of webinars and trainings. Being a UA student is taking the building blocks of what I learned in high school and making it my own. I learned the importance of partnerships and building a network and today I take that with me to the work we do for alums. I support them through their time after high school and the UA becomes a part of their network, thus creating a cycle of connection between the alums, UA, and the world around them.

Angelina Lorenzo, Postsecondary Success Manager

“Project Cafe has helped me collect data on my quality of feedback, positive climate and student questioning. I am able to view and use this data to be more self-aware of my teacher moves and self-reflective on their impact on my students’ learning and experience in my classroom. Project Cafe is an exciting new project with the potential to help new teachers like me become more competent and confident in the classroom.”

, Middle School Social Studies Teacher

Our partnership with Urban Assembly helped us move from SEL theory to high-impact practice. Through evidence-based strategies and hands-on coaching, we have strengthened teacher-student relationships and helped students better manage emotions, navigate challenges, and remain focused on their academic goals.

Diana Castillo, Principal, Grant Avenue Elementary School

Working at the Urban Assembly means working alongside some of the most passionate, committed, inspiring professionals in the field. UA program team members work alongside schools to solve persistent challenges in public education, and then we get to innovate and scale across the system. My teammates identify as coaches and facilitators first, so we are able to learn together and model greatness throughout our organization.

Alexis Goldberg, Managing Director of School Support

“Project Cafe and the AI video tool have brought a new layer to my reflection process. In all of my 15 years of teaching, I never thought I could upload lesson clips into an app and receive data that shows things like talk-time balance, student engagement, and pacing.  Instead of relying on gut feelings, I can analyze real patterns and trends. It’s helped me make more intentional adjustments and sharpen my practice. Reflection feels less abstract??"now it’s focused, evidence-based, and actually energizing.”

, Middle School Instructional Lead Teacher

My decision to be part of The Urban Assembly was easy for several reasons. I know I wanted to be in a work environment that aligned with my values of community building and advocacy. I wanted to see and have leadership that valued people and was open to tough conversation should the need arise. I can say that I have seen and or experienced the above. It is my belief that a work environment should simultaneously be one of personal and professional growth and comradery. The Urban Assembly provides both for me.

Kandra Knowles, Deputy Director, Social-Emotional Learning

"It's been such a low-stake, but high-gain experience. I can choose to watch the video if I'm paying attention to my movement, and which part of the room I tend to focus on. Or maybe I want to see how aligned my questions were, so I read over the transcript. Sometimes, time is limited, so I can look over the bar graph and see my teacher voice to student voice ratio. I love options. I love the autonomy to figure out what I need to work on, especially without feeling judgement. Or being in my head like did I say that? Did I do this or that? Observations can be hard. Project Cafe definitely lessens the anxiety because I now can come into observations with my own goals, showcase my own growth."

, High School English Teacher

The program is amazing, and the coaching is incredibly supportive.

Mario Hilaire, Teacher, SPA

Urban Assembly is grounded in research and best practices. Rather than offering vague ideas about SEL, they provided a robust framework that allowed us to strategically plan, monitor our progress, and achieve tangible growth across our community.

Sandra Carlton, Principal, Hart Magnet Elementary