Richard Maizell

Dr. Maizell has over 35 years of experience as an educator in the New Jersey Public Schools. He holds a Doctorate in School/Community Psychology. His lifelong passion has been in the area of social/emotional learning. Dr. Maizell founded Project Quest, a diversionary group-counseling program for court-involved youth in Sussex County, NJ. The program served students from nine county high schools, later expanding into middle and primary schools as an after school primary prevention program. In partnership with Project Adventure, a nationally known provider of experiential learning, Dr. Maizell conceptualized and constructed a universal playground in the Sussex-Wantage Regional District (NJ), which allowed for general education and differently abled students to play together on uniquely designed playground equipment.

In his last district, the Kinnelon Public Schools, Dr. Maizell implemented a district wide primary prevention program called Full Value Schools. As a result of this implementation harassment, intimidation, and bullying referrals and confirmed incidents fell significantly over a three-year period. Students reported, via school climate surveys, feeling far better equipped to self-regulate and confront inappropriate behaviors with their peers. Dr. Maizell’s program has been presented at national and regional conferences. Most recently he delivered a session to educators at The New Jersey Alliance for Social Emotional, and Character Development Conference (2019). He is the co-author of the book, Exploring Islands of Healing (2002) and the principal author of The Full Value School: A social emotional learning community (2019).