Dena
Simmons


Dena Simmons, Ed.D., is a lifelong activist, educator and student of life. A native of the Bronx, New York, Dena grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with her two sisters and immigrant mother. There, Dena learned and lived the violence of injustice and inequity and decided to dedicate her life to educating and empowering others. As the director of implementation at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, she works with schools to use the power of emotions to create a more effective and compassionate society. Prior to her work at the Center, Dena served as an educator, teacher educator, diversity facilitator and curriculum developer. She has been a leading voice on teacher education and has written and spoken across the country about social justice pedagogy, diversity, education reform and bullying in K-12 school settings, including two TEDx Talks and a TED Talk on Broadway. Dena has been profiled in the AOL/PBS project, MAKERS: Women Who Make America, and a Beacon Press Book, Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists. Dena is a recipient of a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a J. William Fulbright Fellowship, an Education Pioneers Fellowship, a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship, a Phillips Exeter Academy Dissertation Fellowship and an Arthur Vining Davis Aspen Fellowship, among others. She has her doctorate degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Dena’s research interests include teacher preparedness to address bullying in the K-12 school setting and social and emotional learning interventions—all in an effort to ensure and foster justice and safe spaces for all.

Photography by Ryan Lash.

Articles by Dena

Post Election: Don’t Neglect Those Emotions

Empowering students and teachers with the skills of emotional intelligence can help create a more compassionate and just society.

Forging Partnerships With Our School Communities

Tapping into community resources conveys to students that their families, their neighbors and they themselves matter.

Black History Month Is Over. Now What?

Every day, not just the days in February, should be an opportunity for students to learn about Black history, experiences and people. Here are four ways to do it.

Supporting Students Who Are Often Absent

This educator highlights seven practices she uses to engage students who miss class due to poor health, familial responsibilities or emotional or mental health issues.