SEL Summer Institute Offers Educators Sessions on How to Leverage SEL for Equity and Inclusion
The School District of Palm Beach County and Prime Time Palm Beach County hosted the SEL Summer Institute on July 27-29, 2021. More than 570 registrants joined to attend three days of virtual pre-recorded sessions that encompassed learning experiences around the theme “Leveraging SEL for Equity and Inclusion.”
Cornelius Minor (pictured below, Twitter handle @MisterMinor) joined day one, as a keynote speaker to facilitate session entitled “We Can’t Just Treat All Kids the Same: Race, Class, Gender, Ability and What We Really Mean When We Say That We Are Student-Centered.” On day two, keynote speaker Meena Srinivasan presented Mindfulness & SEL in Service of Belonging. On day three, keynote speaker Dr. Gholdy Muhammad presented session entitled Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy.
Prime Time Palm Beach County SEL Specialist Knellee Bisram (pictured below, Twitter handle @KnelleeSEL) presented Culturally Responsive Mindfulness-based SEL for Healing and Inclusion that allowed attendees to explore how evidence-based mind body and mindfulness tools are helping culturally diverse populations to heal from PTSD, trauma and chronic stress, especially as we emerge from multiple pandemics.
The School District of Palm Beach County SEL Manager Kristen Rullison (Twitter handle @KristenRulison) presented A Blueprint for Success: Shifting to a Transformative SEL Approach to Rebuild Thriving Schools where participants learned about transformative SEL practices to foster the competencies and learning environments that students and adults need to reunite, re-engage and thrive.
Chicago teacher and blogger Jess Lifshitz (Twitter handle @Jess5th) facilitated “Using Transformative SEL to Empower Students to Create More Equitable and Inclusive Communities.” Participants learned how to facilitate conversations focused on identity to strengthen their self-awareness, social awareness and relationships skills.
Other national presenters joined the virtual stage from the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), Holistic Life Foundation, The School District of Palm Beach County and Prime Time Palm Beach County.
The SEL Summer Institute closed with an Optimistic Closure that included a tribute to Palm Beach County’s educators. Children and youth shared their dreams and wished attendees a successful 2021-2022 school year.
