We are living through a strange time (in more ways than one!) Technology is moving at lightning speed, and artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere. But at the same time, the work that
truly changes lives is getting more human.

My college-age daughter and her peers are constantly being confronted with this question: “With AI doing so much, does our human-centered work still matter?” My answer is simple: it matters
more than ever. The future will always need people who can build trust, de-escalate conflict, and respond to behavior with empathy instead of control. That is not extra—it is the core of what
makes learning, growth, and connection possible.

Across industries, employers are naming the same truth. As automation expands, the demand for empathy, collaboration, and ethical judgment is rising. The World Economic Forum calls them
“human” or “power” skills, and they are expected to grow in value faster than technical skills over the next five years (World Economic Forum, 2023).

Now consider your own setting. Whether you work in a school, a camp, a library, or an afterschool program, you see it every day. A young person walks in carrying the weight of their
world. A worksheet won’t touch what they are holding, but a relationship can. Developmental science tells us that learning and motivation are rooted in connection and emotional safety (Harvard Center on the Developing Child).

That is why our approach begins with connection before correction. When we say “behaviors are human” and “adults go first,” we are describing a daily practice: notice the need beneath the behavior, regulate ourselves, and then help the young person regulate with us. This is not being soft on behavior management. It is being effective.

And the research is clear: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) improves outcomes across the board. Meta-analyses show that high-quality SEL programs increase academic performance, positive behavior, and mental health (CASEL Meta-Analysis). For our field, that means the time we spend greeting kids by name, teaching emotion vocabulary, and helping them repair
relationships is not an add-on. It is essential instruction.

Relationships are the delivery system for everything that works. The Search Institute’s research on developmental relationships points to five simple actions that make the difference: express
care, challenge growth, provide support, share power, and expand possibilities (Search Institute). When adults model those things consistently, young people feel seen, capable, and motivated to
contribute.

We also have to talk about the adults. Burnout is real. The same people who are creating calm for others often have no space to recharge themselves. Adult SEL—skills like self-awareness,
emotion regulation, and empathy—protects staff and strengthens practice. You cannot help a young person co-regulate if your own nervous system is in overdrive (Gallup State of the Global
Workplace, 2024).

So where does AI fit in? I am not anti-technology. Use AI to handle the busy work: summarize notes, brainstorm ideas, generate lesson plans or design materials. Let it lighten the load so you
can deepen the human work. But do not let efficiency replace empathy. If we automate the parts of the job that make us human, we will get faster at the wrong things.

Even the business world is catching on. Studies from MIT Sloan Management Review show that empathy and emotional intelligence are what make organizations adaptable in times of change. In other words, what our field has been practicing for decades is exactly what the world now needs most.

The bottom line: AI might draft your lesson plan, but it will never earn a young person’s trust. That part is ours. In a world racing toward automation, doubling down on human-centered is
essential.

When we show up with presence, empathy, and intention, we are not just managing behavior or de-escalating conflict. We are shaping how the next generation learns to lead, care, and flourish. And no matter how smart the machines get, that will always be human work.