LifeSchool is a yearlong virtual training for educators, starting in the summer of 2021 and running throughout the 2021-22 school year. LifeSchool is a comprehensive, science-based program with a focus on cultivating trauma-sensitive classroom environments and integrating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into the foundation of their work with students.
Participation in the LifeSchool program will strengthen educators’ resiliency and make SEL integral to their work with students. The primary goals are to increase self-awareness, self management, and improve communication skills. Through this effort, educators also experience enhanced emotional regulation and deepen social awareness. These goals are the core competencies of social and emotional intelligence. Improving educators’ social and emotional intelligence is one of the strategies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) for integrating SEL in schools (Jagers et al., 2018).
We want your educators to share their knowledge and experience!
LifeSchool is designed to support educators to return to their schools ready to share with their colleagues. As part of our Summer Retreat, educators will develop an Action Plan to guide their own development and to identify strategic steps for collaborating with their colleagues. Some aspects of this support will include:
- A slide presentation with speaker notes which will enable them to introduce others to the skills and mindsets practiced during the summer retreat.
- A facilitation guide for launching and sustaining a Professional Learning Community (PLC) within their school or district.
- Ongoing support for Action Plan follow-through and PLC implementation.
- Six workshop sessions with additional training, dialogue, and practice for participants and their colleagues at their school or district. (Whenever 3 or more educators from a district participate together in LifeSchool – ALL educators from their district are welcome to attend these 6 virtual workshops!)
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- Summer Retreat: Includes live online interactive training and offline activities.
- July 15: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
- July 16 & 17: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
- July 18: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
- August 12: two-hour follow-up online session
Individual Coaching: 6 online sessions
Monthly Workshops: 6 online sessions open to all educators working in a school or district where at least three people have participated in the summer program.
Total PDPs – 36
Products:
Action Plan
Participants will be provided with a two-part Action Plan Template. In the first section, they will identify strategies to continue their own learning and deepen their experiences. In the second section, they will select strategic steps for sharing their learning and experience with colleagues and other school community members.
Presentation(s)
Participants will leave with a set of slides and a facilitation guide they can use to present an overview of key ideas from the Summer Retreat to their colleagues, school committee, and/or students’ families.
Professional Learning Community (PLC) Facilitation
Participants will be given a guide for facilitating an inquiry-based Professional Learning Community (PLC). Using this guide, they will be prepared to establish a professional development series through facilitation of a PLC focused on trauma-sensitive schools and transformative social emotional learning (Bermejo-Martins et al., 2021; Durlak et al., 2016).
Click to See LifeSchool in Action! [8]
Cost: $950 per educator
$900 per educator when 2 people register from the same district.
$850 per educator when 3 or more people register for the same district.
Limited scholarships available – please contact info@centerforpeacethroughculture.org [10] to inquire.
Register [11]
We are looking for 10 sponsors for this year-long professional development opportunity. Sponsorships are available on a first come, first serve basis. Sponsors are welcome to sponsor additional educators in a district or multiple districts.
Option to sponsor the entire program for 20 educators for $18,000.
Sponsorship of $2,000 includes:
- Support of 2 teachers from the same district (sponsor can designate district or work with MassCUE to select a district.)
- Logo on MassCUE program webpage
- Two 45- minute live virtual workshops (or in-person if agreed) with the district sponsored during the 2021-2022 school year.
Please email Shelley Chamberlain [12], Executive Director of MassCUE, for more information.