Sharing what we've learned is part of our work at WINGS. So we're pleased that Harvard published CEO Ginny Deerin's account of how WINGS uses a continuous stream of performance management data to improve our program model.

What a clear and understandable way to keep parents informed about what's going on in their kids' school! This website called Schoolscope in England crunches the numbers, the report cards, the surveys - and gives you a succinct rundown at a glance. It can be so confusing to dig through the statistics to get a clear understanding. This isn't all the information we need - but it's a great place to start.

CNN reporter Alina Cho takes a look at what it means to be smart and whether emotional intelligence can be taught in this video segment that's kicked up plenty of comment online. The research clearly shows that developing social and emotional skills deepens engagement and connection to school as well as improving the misconduct detrimental to learning.

At WINGS we are all so proud of what Kimberly Bowman has accomplished since she arrived at WINGS as a shy little girl with crippling self-doubt. Now more than 20 colleges clamor to admit her! She soars with confidence. She's a terrific success story and proof positive that WINGS reaches its educational outcomes. See our CEO's letter in today's Charleston Post and Courier.

Kids are feeling much more stress than their parents suspect, according to a report by the American Psychological Association that's highlighted in the new SEL Exchange newsletter from CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

Intense feelings can cause the heart to change shape and actually break, reports the Wall Street Journal, with an amazing diagram of the phenomenon verified by cardiologists. Broken-heart syndrome mimics a heart attack and is brought on by acute emotion or physical trauma. Here are some emotional stresses that doctors say triggered the malady in their patients:

- death of a spouse

- patient's dog caught in a racoon trap

- losing large amounts of money at a casino

Working with kids is rewarding - and very challenging. How do you get back on track when you lose your connection to the kids? A new resource for youth workers and teachers is free podcasts from the WINGS Listen Lab. Re-energize staff in one minute or less! Hear trained youth leaders share powerful lessons of how they regain perspective when the going gets tough.

The provocative Bill Gates says in his blog that companies should tackle society's biggest problems and not just focus on the bottom line - although it may help more than they think. Says Gates: There’s a less measurable benefit that is still quite important which is the value that comes when a company’s expertise is used broadly to help society. This can energize employees and improve a company’s reputation, and sometimes there are long-term opportunities that come out of that.

What does swashbuckling hero Indiana Jones have in common with advocates for social and emotional learning? Rutgers Professor and nationally recognized SEL expert Maurice Elias blogs for Edutopia about 7 ways to spread the news about the power of social and emotional skills and be like Indy, who led the way and took that big leap forward to find the treasure that had eluded so many others. 

A new wave of philanthropy that aims to drive more funding to the most effective nonprofits that have the power to bring enduring social impact has been gaining more and more attention from policymakers and thought leaders. Business Week notes these efforts have begun to reach "critical mass" with far-reaching repercussions for nonprofits everywhere.