Mindfulness for School Principals

Julia Mahfouz—an associate professor at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado–Denver—is a thought leader promoting social-emotional learning (SEL) protocols in school principal training programs with a view to reducing stress and supporting mental health for effective leadership.

As a former school principal, Julia Mahfouz loved fostering an environment that gave both students and teachers the best chances for success. But the hours were long, and the professional support sometimes nonexistent. “It’s one of the loneliest jobs that anyone could ever have,” she says. “It took a toll on my physical health, and it took a toll on my work-life balance.”

The experience set Mahfouz ’17 PhD Edu on a new path. She enrolled in Penn State’s education policy studies program with a desire to “reimagine leadership.” She worked closely with her adviser, associate professor of education Deborah Schussler, and Mark Greenberg, Emeritus Bennett Chair of Prevention Research and the founding director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, and began to consider the role of mindfulness in school settings.

Today, Mahfouz—an associate professor at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado–Denver—is a thought leader promoting social-emotional learning (SEL) protocols in school principal training programs with a view to reducing stress and supporting mental health for effective leadership. She is one of the first researchers to recommend integrating the tenets of SEL—self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making—into preparing principals for their jobs.   

“The idea is that if you’re to attend to the needs of the students, you have to attend to the needs of the teachers and principals, because they are key,” Mahfouz says. “This will result in a safe, welcoming environment, which we know through research leads to positive social, emotional, and academic performance for the students.”

At UC Denver, Mahfouz also directs the Prosocial Leader Lab, which grants certificates to principals interested in leading schoolwide SEL programs. In 2023, she was awarded the Joseph Zins Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Action Research in SEL, named for a pioneer in the delivery of psychological services in school settings. —Andy Faught