Elizabeth Cook
Elizabeth Cook leads the strategy, development and dissemination of training and technical assistance to schools, districts, and organizations across the nation in areas of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model.
Elizabeth got her start in education at a young age. As a child, she would spend Saturday mornings helping her grandmother teach religious education to children with intellectual disabilities. She would also help her mom, a social worker, facilitate a summer camp experience for individuals with Autism. These experiences helped to shape Elizabeth’s worldview: that all people deserve equitable opportunities to live, learn, and love.
Professionally, Elizabeth intentionally strives to gain as many perspectives as possible through work and service. Throughout her career, she’s been—among other things-- a paraeducator, an Autism consultant for summer camps, a classroom SEL instructor, a psychologist, a state agency leader, a national content expert, and, most recently, a school board member. By immersing herself in the varied experiences and perspectives of the field, Elizabeth gains a 360 view of how real implementation happens so that she can successfully translate theory to practice.
Check out some of Elizabeth’s favorite accomplishments:
- Leading Content for the Resilience in Schools Environment Initiative & authoring the RISE Index
- Writing Effective Implementation and Evaluation of Trauma-Informed Schools chapter of the latest edition of Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students
- Supporting students and their families co-plan positive coping strategies
Elizabeth holds an Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology from the University of Detroit-Mercy. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband, 2 children, and dog. She’s currently learning how to tap dance.
