Description: Although there has been a variety of in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning occurring throughout the Southeast and the United States this school year, many schools are still shifting between learning models and/or starting to return to in-person learning. This Virtual Listening and Learning Session is designed to support school and district leaders, educators, student support personnel and other professionals to promote safe, supporting learning environments during these transitions. Following brief didactic information on best practices for school programming during COVID and other community-wide adversities, we will facilitate open discussion of strategies being put into place right now in the Southeast. Please come prepared to share your local innovations or goals on the horizon as well as challenges or concerns your teams are facing. An additional Learning Session will follow with tailored content to address challenges and concerns raised during the listening session portion of this event. Join us for connection and shared learning about how to strengthen Southeastern school communities during this complex and dynamic time! 

Objectives:

1. Increase understanding of strategies and best practices for school systems to promote student, family and staff resilience, wellbeing and success following COVID-related school closures.
2. Increase understanding of strategies and best practices for school staff working directly with students to promote student resilience, wellbeing and success following COVID-related school closures.
3. Promote cross-state networking and shared learning about best practices, successes and challenges of supporting student resilience and wellbeing during learning modality transitions.

About the speaker:

Dr. Elizabeth Connors is an Assistant Professor at Yale University, Division of Prevention and Community Research and at the Child Study Center. She is also a faculty member with the University of Maryland National Center for School Mental Health, where she is the Director of Quality Improvement and a developer of The SHAPE System. Dr. Connors received her Ph.D. in Clinical Child and Community Psychology and her work focuses on improving access to high-quality mental health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports for underserved children, adolescents, young adults and their families in critical access points such as schools and community settings.