Parent Presentation: How to Get Your Child to Communicate with You When it Really Matters

How can parents partner with their children and their children's educators to develop young people's empathy, confidence, resilience, and motivation to pursue their goals and maintain their well-being? As young people navigate a constantly changing educational environment and complex social world one thing is certain: Supportive relationships and social skills are critical to their emotional well-being. But these skills are not “soft skills" - they are essential for kids to engage in their education and support their emotional and mental health.  From their friendships, anxiety, social media, conflicts with friends and family, and the constant pressure to “keep up,” this presentation will share insights and strategies to best understand this generation of adolescents and build meaningful relationships with them —especially when they need us most. 

Faculty & Staff Presentation: Creating a Culture of Dignity
Character and social and emotional learning programs can’t be limited to slogans and strategies that have limited real-life applications in school. Instead we have to teach programs integrating young people’s experiences in school and that also reflect the complexity of their social lives. Developed in collaboration with young people, The Owning Up Curriculum teaches educators and young people to understand their individual development in group behavior, the influence of social media, and the dynamics that lead to conflict and bystanding. 

This workshop will:

• Define the difference between dignity and respect and their impact on communicating with young people

• Offer realistic definitions of bullying, by-standing, teasing, and social conflict

• Identify dynamics that lead to social conflict

• Outline common challenges to teach these topics effectively and obtain student buy-in