meet Well ed
Let's create some ripples
Together!
Generate lasting ripple effects of wellbeing across school communities via collaborative, science-backed action.
Well Ed partners with and connects school communities and wellbeing professionals so they can coordinate and collaborate more often, and reinvent the wheel less often. Together we innovate educational environments that enable thriving for all.
We catalyze grassroots and leadership momentum to enable thriving-mode vs survival-mode in education.
the big idea
what's our why?
positive mental health matters.
education matters.
you + your wellbeing matter.
we need more meaningful, proactive approaches
wellbeing is in service of the goals of education
the load can feel heavy - we want to help lighten it
Wellbeing in education is a collective opportunity and responsibility. Well Ed's services and approaches are filtered through this lens. Each of us plays an essential role in our own, and each others', capacity to thrive.
Heartfelt gratitude to Knowledge Keeper North Star Scott for her ongoing support with Well Ed's work and for helping to evolve this positive psychology model through an Indigenous perspective for wellbeing in education - starting with "WE" vs "ME", adding "ALL" to include families and broader community, and each level intentionally placed in alignment with the Sacred Circle.
guiding lights
Well Ed's purpose, philosophy, and approaches are informed by:
POSITIVE (ORGANIZATIONAL) PSYCHOLOGY
Well Ed content and approaches draw from the latest science and our unique combination of training and experience in education, positive psychology, and positive organizational scholarship.
WE - ME - US - ALL WELLBEING APPROACHES
The SEARCH wellbeing framework, Positive Education, Appreciative Inquiry, and systems approaches guide Well Ed's work. These science-backed pathways enable thriving, growth, and positive change from individuals to systems.
INDIGENOUS + GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES of WELLBEING
Well Ed seeks to practice what it promotes with inclusion of wellbeing perspectives. We also partner with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and educators to infuse Indigenous wisdom and ways of knowing and being.
Well Ed content and approaches draw from the latest science and our unique combination of training and experience in education, positive psychology, and positive organizational scholarship.
who is well ed?
Well Ed is WE-Powered
Dana Fulwiler Volk
This project is a collective effort, just like Wellbeing in Education. It was initiated by Dana Fulwiler Volk.
Contributors and thought-partners include teachers, educational assistants and school support staff, school and system leadership, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, wellbeing and resilience researchers and leaders, clinical mental health professionals, public health professionals, and all forms of education and wellbeing professionals. The gratitude list is long!
The seed for Well Ed was sown back in 2006 when I championed wellbeing in my very first school. I saw firsthand the impact that a culture of wellbeing could make on students, staff, and on my own experience in a very demanding role teaching jr high.
founder • educator • positive psych practitioner
Well Ed is the community and resource I wish I would've had.
My goal is to rally all wellbeing-in-education enthusiasts (like you and me)and enable us to innovate proactive mental health for schools, while nourishing our own wellbeing.
My big vision is to foster the kind of work and learning environments that are so awesome they're difficult to leave. I know this is possible because I've experienced them myself!
Since 2019 I've worked with dozens of school communities and districts, and thousands of education professionals to elevate wellbeing in education. Well Ed is informed by their hopes, challenges, feedback, and requests.
- Classroom teacher across grades 7-12, international coordinator, and system specialist in mental health in the largest school district in Western Canada
- Assistant Instructor, Master of Applied Positive Psychology program @ UPenn
- Sessional Instructor, Comprehensive School Health @ University of Calgary
- Co-creator and host of Teacher Fan Club, a wellbeing and gratitude podcast
- Global consultant, coach, and facilitator; 50+ workshops, 4000+ participants
- 1 of 5 wellbeing/resilience experts invited to serve on Alberta's COVID-19 Child & Youth Wellbeing Review, resulting in significant government investment
- Co-author of Teacher, Take Care, a guide for educator and workplace wellbeing
Hello! I'm Dana
17 Years of Professional Experience, including:
training in education + wellbeing science
University of pennsylvania
- Learned directly from positive psychology founder Dr. Martin Seligman, and several global leaders in individual + organizational psychology
University of saskatchewan
- Specializing in curriculum design for wellbeing and adult learning
the CAPP Institute + the change lab
let's connect!
formal cred
relevant experience
- Classroom teacher in grades 7-12, international coordinator, system specialist in mental health in the largest school district in Western Canada
- Assistant Instructor, Master of Applied Positive Psychology program @ University of Pennsylvania
- Sessional Instructor, BEd Comprehensive School Health + Wellness @ University of Calgary
- Co-creator and host of Teacher Fan Club, a wellbeing and gratitude podcast
- Global consultant, coach, and facilitator; 50+ workshops, 4000+ participants, and counting!
- 1 of 5 wellbeing/resilience experts invited to serve on Alberta's COVID-19 Child & Youth Wellbeing Review, resulting in gov't investment
- Co-author of Teacher, Take Care, a guide for educator and workplace wellbeing
how is Well Ed unique?
Lived Experience in Your World
we have school cred
Created by educators and wellbeing advocates. We've been in your shoes and understand the education system - from the classroom to system-level leadership.
Rooted in Wellbeing Science + Research
we've done our homework so you don't have to
We've paired up and studied with global leaders in positive psychology and the science of wellbeing to provide trusted, high-quality content informed by current, world-class research.
Always Evolving to Best Serve YOU
we thrive on meeting your needs and walking our growth-mindset talk 🌱
Well Ed is a partnership. We're all ears to your feedback and insights, continually shaping our offerings to best serve you. Think of us as the Robin to your Batman 😎.
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POS PSYCH FAQ
The scientific study of wellbeing, human flourishing, and the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
It's not Happy-ology
... or toxic-positivity
Positive psychology argues we should be just as focused on what goes RIGHT with us and how to build more of it, as we are with what goes WRONG with us and how to mitigate it. Both are important. Essential. The absence of illbeing doesn't = wellbeing. The goal is not to eliminate or ignore the unpleasant stuff, but to navigate it more effectively + savour the good more often.
Positive psychology is about proactive mental health and wellbeing, and building skills, behaviours, mindsets, and environments that enable thriving and resilience for all. On the organizational psychology front, check out positive organizational scholarship.
What is positive psychology?!
learn more
pos psych FAQ
Consider a continuum of mental health that we all travel across - our inner world is never static.
There is no "negative " psych - just fields that focus more on alleviating suffering; "positive " psych focuses on building flourishing. They work together. Perhaps one day we can just see them all as "psychology"!
Why is it called positive if it's not all about positivity?!
learn more about languishing
Positive psych helps us move from languishing to flourishing
POS PSYCH FAQ
Okay, this isn't really a frequently asked question ;) ... but it's implied when education institutions and governments aren't willing to invest in high-quality, sustainable wellbeing and positive mental health measures.
Below is an extremely brief snapshot of wellbeing + positive mental health's impact in education.
Why is proactive, positive mental health worth investing in?
Intentionally teaching skills, behaviours, and mindsets of wellbeing can improve both wellbeing outcomes and academic outcomes, and decrease illbeing outcomes.
"Changes to teachers' self-reported distress and burnout affected multiple facets of students' well-being and the academic environment "
teaching wellbeing matters
educator wellbeing matters
educator wellbeing matters
whole-school wellbeing matters
- Meta-Analysis: How Can Schools Support Whole-school Wellbeing? A Review of the Research (from Australia)
- Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health: Schools as a Setting for Promoting Positive Mental Health (from Canada)
"Given not all interventions will work, educators need training and support to help them select the approaches that are likely to have a positive impact in their context – that match their school’s strengths and needs. "
