Maria Kontoudakis is a graduate of the Erikson Institute with a Master of Science in Child Development. She currently serves as the Project Manager for the SEL Initiative at Erikson and is pursuing her Master of Social Work degree. She also worked as a facilitator and field coordinator for a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) grant, to help deliver a mindfulness-based social and emotional learning curriculum to 90 Chicago Public School K-2nd grade classrooms. She previously worked for various research and policy institutes focusing on education, homelessness, and mental health in early childhood. She is dedicated to supporting and building equity and compassion in schools and communities.