The Conference Center at GTCC
Colfax, NC
Join us for a dynamic and engaging event aimed at empowering educators to enhance student academic outcomes through prioritizing educator wellbeing and skill development. Through engaging, interactive sessions presented by district and school leaders, learn how local educators use tools and resources to design and support the holistic wellbeing of their districts.
Sessions will delve into practical strategies to nurture the wellbeing of educators and students, while also addressing approaches for local adaptation. Participants will have the opportunity to forge meaningful connections with fellow educators and community partners from across the state, fostering a supportive network that sustains and enhances a statewide culture of wellbeing.
Come share insights, best practices, and challenges. Get ready to collaborate as we create lasting change in public education!
Intended Attendee Outcomes:
- Understand the connections between educator wellbeing and prioritizing adult skill development to improve and sustain student academic outcomes.
- Increase awareness of tools and resources available to support indicators of school- and district-wide wellbeing.
- Connect with other educators and districts from across the state to build relationships that sustain and enhance local implementation.
8:00 – 8:45 AM: Sign-In and Continental Breakfast (provided on-site)
9:00 AM: Opening Session
Welcome Address:
Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, Executive Director, SERVE at UNC Greensboro (SERVE)
Introductions:
Anne D. Nixon, IABS Regional Strategic Support Consultant, NCDPI
Dr. Beth Rice, Specialist for State Projects, Region 6 Comprehensive Center (RC6) at SERVE
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Nick Yoder, Associate Vice President of Whole Human Education & Research for the Harmony Academy at National University
Dr. Nick Yoder serves as the Associate Vice President of Whole Human Education & Research for the Harmony Academy at National University. With a career in education spanning two decades, Dr. Yoder’s expertise in integrating social, emotional, and academic development into educational policy and practice has been pivotal. His work is marked by a commitment to equitable whole child development, underpinned by a strong foundation in research and data to improve educational outcomes.
He has led seminal work on social, emotional, and academic integration that was recently updated, Instructional Practices That Integrate Equity Centered Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning, and he was co-editor of the Advances in Motivation & Achievement Series, Motivating the SEL Field Forward Through Equity.
Dr. Yoder serves on the advisory board of CASEL’s Collaborating States Initiative and the boards of the SEL Providers Association and CREATE for Education. He is also an Associate Editor for Journal of Social and Emotional Learning and serves on the Local School Council for his neighborhood school in Chicago Public Schools. (Presentation)
10:00 AM: Breakout Session A
6 breakout sessions led by North Carolina-based school administrators, educators, and community partners who will share their practical strategies and real-world examples for enhancing student academic outcomes by prioritizing educator wellbeing and positive school culture.
- Developing a District-Wide SEL Implementation Plan – Amy Nichols, District MTSS Coordinator, Wilson County Schools (Presentation)
- It Begins with Us: Adult SEL – Amanda Bell, MTSS Behavioral Health Coordinator, IC Imagine K-12 Public Charter School, Asheville (Presentation)
- The Container Model: An Inside-Out Approach to Wellbeing – Leela Harpur Heyder, Founder & CEO Calm Minds Kind Hearts (Presentation)
- Sustaining SEL at the Core – Dejanell (Daisy) Mittman, SEL Specialist, Guildford County Schools, and Ronnie Armstron, SEL Specialist, Guilford County Schools (Presentation)
- We Are Better Together – Dr. Donald Phipps, Superintendent, Caldwell County Schools, and Dr. Katrina McEllen, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Program Services, Caldwell County Schools (Presentation)
- Be CALM: A Mindful Co-regulation Approach to Supporting Educators to Support Students, Dr. Desiree Murray, Director, Be CALM, and Dr. Beverly Rudolph, Trainer, Be Calm (Presentation)
11:15 AM: Breakout Session B
6 additional breakout sessions led by North Carolina-based school administrators, educators, and community partners who will share their practical strategies and real-world examples for enhancing student academic outcomes by prioritizing educator wellbeing and positive school culture.
- Cultivating Connections and Supportive Discipline: Integrating SEL and Behavior for Educator Empowerment, LaTrayl Adams, Director of SEL & Restorative Practices, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Shannon Dobson, Director of Behavior Support & Intervention, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School (Presentation)
- Everyone on the Same Page: Implementing a District-wide Core Wellness Curriculum, Karen Hollar, Director of Student Health & Wellness, Cabarrus County Schools, and Dr. Mary Beth Roth, Chief Student Services & Compliance Officer, Cabarrus County Schools (Presentation)
- Bridging the Gap: A Framework for Addressing Discipline Disparities and Engaging the Community Through a Student Behavior Task Force, Dr. Melody Chalmers McClain, Associate Superintendent of Student Support Services, Cumberland County Schools, and Ann-Marie Palmer, Title I & Behavior Support Coordinator, Cumberland County Schools (Presentation)
- It‘s Simple, Really: Let‘s Regulate, Tima Williams, Director of SEL & Wellbeing, Asheville City Schools (Presentation)
- Caring for the Caregiver: A Systemic Approach to Adult SEL & Self-Care, Darlene S. Hodges, IABS Coordinator, Wayne County Public Schools, and Angela Griffith, Behavior Support Coordinator, Wayne County Public Schools (Presentation)
- SCCS Student Support Has Organically Grown into a Team, Crystal Barnes, Elementary Dean & Director of Student Support, Sugar Creek Charter School (Presentation)
Meet the presenters – download information about all of the presenters.
Summit program – download the pre-event program.
12:30-1:15 PM: Lunch
Catered on site; Grab-n-Go Sandwiches and Sides Provided
1:30 PM: Breakout Session A – Round Tables
Participants will return to their first breakout session speaker for a facilitated small group discussion as well as Q&A.
2:15 PM: Breakout Session B – Round Tables
Participants will return to their second breakout session speaker for a facilitated small group discussion as well as Q&A.
3:00 PM: Wrap Up and Closing Activity
- Dr. Beth Rice, Specialist for State Projects, RC6 at SERVE
- Megan Orleans, Project Specialist, RC6 at SERVE
3:30 PM: Dismissal
Sponsored by:
