About the Teel Institute

The Teel Institute for the Development of Integrity and Ethical Behavior is a 501(c)3 public charity located in Kansas City , Missouri . Founded in 1995, The Institute is dedicated to the development of educational programs designed to promote moral development, character, healthy social and emotional behaviors, and self-valuing in children and adolescents. Expertise in program development includes curriculum design, adult training and education, and customized program development for a wide variety of environments that serve young people. The Institute has created, implemented, and evaluated a number of their own proprietary programs whose objective is to develop psychologically secure, emotionally healthy, and morally competent young people that have the skills, values, and behaviors to lead productive and fulfilled lives.

In addition, the Institute’s mission includes both applied research in moral psychology and program evaluation. The Institute specializes in the research and evaluation of these kinds of programs. Expertise of the Institute’s staff includes defining outcomes, research design for all phases of evaluation, development of assessment instruments for measurement, and interpretation of results.

The Teel Institute fulfills its mission through the development of its own proprietary programs, through providing ongoing education for adults that work with children, through contracting with other organizations to design programming for their specific needs, and by helping other organizations evaluate their programs for effectiveness. The Institute’s primary clients include school administrators, classroom teachers, school counselors, other non-profit youth-serving organizations, parents, and others devoted to the psychological well-being of children and youth.

For the last 20 years, key staff members at the Institute have dedicated their professional lives to these areas of investigation, and collectively represent more than a century of professional experience in the fields of education and research.

“The best and surest way to keep your students from doing wrong is to teach them to love doing what is right. Teach them whatever is at the same time rational, truthful, principled, and loving. If you do this, you will have taught them the meaning of good.”

Sue N. Teel, M.A., Founder of The Teel Institute

To learn more about The Teel Institute, visit the website at www.teelinstitute.org .

ABOUT THE STAFF

Leslie T. Dunn, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Teel Institute and is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the organization, including advocacy in character education locally and nationally, public speaking, publication of books and articles, and consultation. Dunn was previously with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She served as Director of Research and Development, Strategic Planning, and Training before leaving the Foundation to found the Institute, which continues the work on The ESSENTIAL Curriculum © by forming a freestanding non-profit organization. Dunn earned her Bachelor’s degree at Williams College in Williamstown , Massachusetts , and hold both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Research Psychology from the University of Kansas .

Sue N. Teel, M.A., is the founder and developer of the ESSENTIAL Curriculum© , and serves as the Director of Program Development for the Institute. The creative catalyst for the development of all programming and the intellectual property of the Institute, Teel plays a key role in the design of measurement instruments, training, and program materials used by students, parents, teachers, and counselors. In addition, she coordinates and manages the production of all teaching materials required to implement the programs of the Institute. During her career as a classroom teacher, Teel developed extensive expertise in curriculum and instruction, reading, outcomes evaluation, and education reform methods and strategies. Teel holds a Bachelor’s degree in French from the University of Kansas , and a Master’s degree with High Honors in Reading Education from the University of Missouri at Kansas City . She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, as well as a member of national honorary French and History societies.

Donald E. Wilson, Ed. D., is the Director of Administration, Operations and Education at the Institute, and has primary responsibility for day-to-day operations for all administrative functions as well as program development, curriculum training, and client support for the Institute’s programs. Wilson served as classroom teacher, counselor, principal, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and superintendent of the nationally recognized Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas . Wilson has served as consultant to elementary and secondary schools in curriculum and evaluation, and has received numerous awards and recognition for his leadership in public education. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Kansas State Teachers’ College and a Master’s degree in Business from Pittsburg State University , and his doctoral degree in school curriculum and administration from the University of Kansas .