Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Deep Dives

This six-part series, Talking About Race as Healing Practice, takes educators and education leaders on a deep dive into racial literacy and its role in safe and supportive learning environments. Part of what can stand in the way of deepening racial literacy skills is the belief that conversations about race are only “difficult” or “challenging.” This series invites participants to see these encounters instead as key elements of safe and supportive learning environments, even spaces of healing. Participants work closely with their peers and SSLE facilitators in a collaborative learning community to develop the mindsets, knowledge, and capacity to engage in conversations about race from a mindful rather than reactive space in their work within schools, districts, and agencies.

Key Dates

Deep Dives: Six (6) synchronous sessions held every two weeks on Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Session Dates: February 15, February 22, March 1, March 8, March 15, and March 22

Costs

For a limited time, course fees are covered by the CCSC. There is NO COST for participants to attend.

What You Will Learn

With the facilitation, coaching, and technical assistance from our multidisciplinary team,
self-reflection, and close collaboration with fellow participants, you will learn how to

• cultivate a shared, healing-centered learning community,
• define the skills and mindsets associated with “racial literacy,” and
• practice engaging in the behaviors and habits associated with racial literacy both from within and across racial groups.

Who Will Benefit

• K–12 school district superintendents and administrators
• Principals and site administrators
• Teachers, teacher leaders, behavior specialists, and intervention coordinators
• Counselors, school psychologists, and mental health professionals

Who Should Apply

The K–12 educators and education leaders best suited to successfully participate in the SSLE Deep Dive Virtual Professional Learning Series

• can commit to participating in all synchronous sessions and asynchronous practice, reflection, and collaboration between sessions;
• possess the prior knowledge and experience to discuss how race, racism, and racial equity shape their lives and the world (Note: If you don’t currently meet these criteria, stay tuned for upcoming professional learning opportunities with a more foundational racial equity focus through the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety.);
• are looking to cultivate and/or deepen their racial literacy skills in both personal and professional settings; and
• have support from decision-makers and supervisors (as appropriate) to attend sessions, work collaboratively between sessions, try out new strategies and practices, and share learnings and takeaways with colleagues.

Principles and Elements

Comprising a practical and manageable scope and sequence for learning and application, the SSLE Deep Dive series includes the following principles and elements:

• Offers collaborative and experiential learning with weekly opportunities for practice and self-reflection
• Fosters a healing-centered and engaged learning community in which to learn and grow with education peers across California
• Centers the role that race and racial literacy play in creating and sustaining safe and supportive learning environments
• Draws on several different approaches to talking about race, including mindfulness, storytelling, somatic awareness, and role play, among others

Synchronous learning occurs via Zoom. Asynchronous practice and reflection occur via Canvas Learning Management System between sessions.

Learning Sequence

The SSLE Deep Dive Virtual Professional Learning Series comprises six sessions. Each session will be from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SESSION	THEMES/TOPICS/FOCUS
Session 1: Welcome and Framing Our Time Together February 15, 2023	Begin building trust in our learning community Understand the key theories and frameworks we will be returning to in this series together Ground yourself in your “why” as it relates to racial literacy
Session 2: Sharing Our Stories February 22, 2023	Continue building trust in our learning community with a focus on sharing our stories with each other within and across racial groups Practice key racial literacy skills as we engage in racial affinity-based conversation
Session 3: Navigating Racial Stress and Conflict March 1, 2023	Continue building trust in our learning community with a focus on navigating racial stress and conflict Practice key social–emotional racial literacy skills as we engage in racial affinity-based conversation
Session 4: Responding to Current Racial Dilemmas March 8, 2023	Continue building trust in our learning community with a focus on surfacing current racial dilemmas in our contexts Practice key social–emotional racial literacy skills as we engage in dynamic role play
Session 5: Practicing Vulnerability March 15, 2023	Continue building trust in our learning community with a focus on how shame, fear, and anxiety show up in racial encounters Practice key social–emotional racial literacy skills as we engage in dyadic storytelling
Session 6: Reflecting On and Celebrating Our Journey Together March 22, 2023	Celebrate our learning community Concretize the learning journey we have been on together so far

For more information, email us at schoolclimate@wested.org.