ACT Acquires K-12 SEL Curriculum Provider Mawi Learning

A TRIP TO MAWI: ACT, the assessment developer best known for its college-readiness test, has acquired Mawi Learning, a provider of K-12 social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and resources. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Mawi Learning is named after Mawi Asgedom, a refugee from Ethiopia who moved to the U.S. and later attended Harvard University. It offers a mix of online and in-person SEL courses for students and teachers, covering skills like time management and goal-setting. The Chicago-based company claims to have reached more than 1 million students with these programs since its start in 2003.

This deal continues a streak of acquisitions that ACT has pursued ever since Marten Roorda joined as CEO in 2015. Under him, the Iowa City, Iowa-based nonprofit has purchased half a dozen assets, including Open Assessment Technologies and Knovation last year, and the American College Application Campaign in January 2019.

Mawi Learning’s curriculum will complement ACT’s existing SEL offerings. In a press release, ACT’s chief commercial officer, Suzana Delanghe stated that “coupled with ACT Tessera, our state-of-the-art SEL assessment program, Mawi Learning’s professional development and student curriculum will allow ACT to provide a comprehensive solution for schools and districts.”