California Safe and Supportive Schools

Participatory Systems Change for Equity: Centering Community Wisdom and Collective Action to Transform Child-, Youth-, and Family-Serving Systems

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Participatory Systems Change for Equity: Centering Community Wisdom and Collective Action to Transform Child-, Youth-, and Family-Serving Systems

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Drawing on community organizing, liberatory design, and participatory methods, Participatory Systems Change for Equity is an approach to systems transformation that centers the expertise of those most impacted by child-, youth-, and family-serving systems to make sense of and interrupt inequitable system conditions. Attend this session to learn about the Participatory Systems Change for Equity framework and how this framework can help your school, district, county, state, or other community-serving agency reimagine how it transforms systems in partnership with communities to promote equity, opportunity, and well-being.

Watch the session recording:

View the recording transcript.

View the session resources and slides in this Linktree.

Presenters:

Natalie Walrond (she/her) serves as a Senior Advisor for the California Center for School Climate. Natalie serves as the director for the Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities content area at WestEd. She also serves as Director of the national Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety housed at WestEd. The Center works nationally to build state and local capacity to integrate evidence-based approaches to social and emotional development and school safety with academic teaching and learning, school climate, and all the ways that children and youth experience school. Natalie speaks and writes on social and emotional well-being, education excellence, alignment and coherence, and equity. Natalie brings to her work over 25 years of experience in K–12 education, finance, and strategy, for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Amber Valdez, EdD (she/her) is a Senior Program Associate II with WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team where she supports local, regional, and state agencies and organizations to design and transform complex systems for equity. Her expertise includes complex systems change, transformational leadership, participatory change approaches, cross-sector collaboration, continuous improvement/improvement science, and human-centered/liberatory design. Valdez brings experience working with public and private sector systems, including education, health, and community development agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and foundations. Before coming to WestEd, Valdez led a consulting business supporting youth-, family-, and community-serving agencies and organizations with strategic planning, resource development, and community partnerships. She also served as a nonprofit leader supporting school and district administrators with resource development, community schools design, family engagement, and educational leadership.

Rebeca Cerna (she/her/ella) serves as the Director for the California Center for School Climate. As an Area Director at WestEd, Rebeca supports districts, schools, and community partners in centering equity and improving educational, prevention, and health outcomes. Rebeca’s areas of expertise include health and wellness, school culture/climate, partner voice, data use, and cross-sector collaboration. She has extensive experience in working with communities that have been challenged by infrastructure deficiencies and in lifting the voices of all community members. Rebeca has also worked with diverse settings, including rural and urban communities, recent and mixed-status immigrant communities, and alternative education.

Shazia Hashmi (she/her) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate. As a Program Associate at WestEd, Shazia translates and applies research on equitable, developmentally appropriate strategies to support state education agencies, district leaders, and educators in serving communities. She supports research and technical assistance projects that focus on improving practices in social–emotional learning, school climate, and community engagement. She currently works with The California Endowment’s School Health Data Team to create supportive, engaging learning environments for students using school climate data. She also serves as a technical assistance provider for the National Center to Improve Social Emotional Learning and School Safety.

 

California Center for School Climate: Building Safe, Supportive, and Inclusive School Climates in 2023-24

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Join us for the California Center for School Climate: Building Safe, Supportive, and Inclusive School Climates in 2023-24 webinar. The California Center for School Climate (CCSC), a project of the CDE operated by WestEd, provides school climate and data use coaching and supports at no cost to LEAs in California.  

Come learn about upcoming opportunities including professional learning, technical assistance, and resources available to LEAs. You will hear from a local administrator about their experience with CCSC. The webinar will be hosted on September 14, 2023 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.  

Watch the webinar recording:

View the recording transcript.

View the session slides and resources.

Presenters:

Hilva Chan, MSW, is an Education Programs Consultant with the California Department of Education. Chan has extensive experience managing programs promoting youth resiliency and wellness both at the state and local levels, and she has managed several federal grants addressing school safety, positive school climate, and student mental health. She is currently the program director for two mental health projects, Project Cal-STOP and Project Cal-Well. Chan oversees the California Center for School Climate and the statewide implementation of the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys.

Rebeca Cerna (she/her/ella) serves as the Director for the California Center for School Climate. As an Area Director at WestEd, Rebeca supports districts, schools, and community partners in centering equity and improving educational, prevention, and health outcomes. Rebeca’s areas of expertise include health and wellness, school culture/climate, partner voice, data use, and cross-sector collaboration. She has extensive experience in working with communities that have been challenged by infrastructure deficiencies and in lifting the voices of all community members. Rebeca has also worked with diverse settings, including rural and urban communities, recent and mixed-status immigrant communities, and alternative education.

Jenny Betz (she/they) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate.Jenny is also a Senior Program Associate in the Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities content area at WestEd providing coaching, training, and technical assistance to support client efforts to assess and improve school climate and wellness, with an emphasis on equity, trauma-informed practices, SEL, partner engagement, youth leadership, bias-based bullying, LGBTQ students, data use, and sustainability. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jenny has worked with hundreds of SEAs, LEAs, government agencies, professional associations, community organizations, and corporations, focusing on creating and sustaining safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments for all students.

Kristin Sobilo currently serves her community as an elementary principal in rural Humboldt County on the far northern California coast. A dynamic, bilingual, and passionate educational leader,  Kristin puts inclusivity into practice by meeting and welcoming children, families, and educators where they are. Kristin builds bridges because she genuinely values the efforts and voice of each stakeholder and engages the diverse community she and her team serve. With 25 years of experience in education, from teaching English to middle schoolers, coaching teachers on effective instruction, facilitating and implementing both Restorative Justice and Arts Integration grants, and leading through example, Kristin embraces and models curiosity, learning, and growing every day. Kristin and her husband Mike enjoy visiting with their adult children, traveling, and a good game of Scrabble.  

Perspectives on student mental well-being: Life satisfaction data from the California Healthy Kids Survey

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Student mental health is not just addressing emotional distress but also improving life satisfaction of students. Examining data related to life satisfaction and emotional distress provides context for understanding and supporting the student mental health. This webinar examines new life satisfaction and emotional distress items from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). Using survey results from over half a million students from the 2021-22 school year, researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara will discuss the importance of assessing student well-being and guiding participants on how to interpret these items. Practical strategies for improving student mental well-being will be shared.

Watch the webinar recording:

View the recording transcript.

View the session resources and slides.

Presenters:

Michael Furlong, PhD is a research professor and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2021/22 UCSB Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship). He received the 2022 School Mental Health Research Award and provides consultation and support to the California Department of Education and WestEd related to CHKS. A co-editor of the Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (2009, 2014, 2022), he collaborates with colleagues on Project Covitality, supporting schools’ efforts to foster all students’ social–emotional development.

Erin Dowdy, PhD is a professor in the department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a licensed psychologist and a nationally certified school psychologist. Her research career and scholarly publications have focused on universal assessment for social and emotional health and risk. She is focused on equitable screening practices. Dr. Dowdy has a record of past success at disseminating research in peer-reviewed journals and at professional conferences. Her research and collaborative work with schools, state, and community agencies has been funded by various agencies.  

Peer Learning Exchange: Using Participatory Systems Change Approaches to Improve School Climate

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When child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies facilitate systems change efforts without those who are impacted by these systems, they run the risk of perpetuating inequity and causing harm to the very people they intend to serve. Join this session to learn about an approach to systems change that draws on the frameworks of community organizing, liberatory design, and participatory methods. System leaders can use participatory systems change strategies to work collectively with young people, families, and communities to identify, design, and assess priorities, actions, and investments that work toward creating safe, supportive, and positive school climates.

Highlighted Resource: Participatory Systems Change for Equity: An Inquiry Guide for Child-, Youth- and Family- Serving Agencies

Session slides and linktree.

Objectives:

  • Objective 1: Deepen understanding of participatory systems change as a lever for equitable, transformative change.
  • Objective 2: Gain conceptual and actionable knowledge on integrating and aligning participatory methods to continuously improve school climate.
  • Objective 3: Engage in collective reflection to determine opportunities for applying elements of participatory systems change to improve school climate.

Presenters:

Amber Valdez, EdD (she/her) is a Senior Program Associate II with WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team where she supports local, regional, and state agencies and organizations to design and transform complex systems for equity. Her expertise includes complex systems change, transformational leadership, participatory change approaches, cross-sector collaboration, continuous improvement/improvement science, and human-centered/liberatory design. Valdez brings experience working with public and private sector systems, including education, health, and community development agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and foundations. Before coming to WestEd, Valdez led a consulting business supporting youth-, family-, and community-serving agencies and organizations with strategic planning, resource development, and community partnerships. She also served as a nonprofit leader supporting school and district administrators with resource development, community schools design, family engagement, and educational leadership.

Rebeca Cerna (she/her/ella) serves as the Director for the California Center for School Climate. As an Area Director at WestEd, Rebeca supports districts, schools, and community partners in centering equity and improving educational, prevention, and health outcomes. Rebeca’s areas of expertise include health and wellness, school culture/climate, partner voice, data use, and cross-sector collaboration. She has extensive experience in working with communities that have been challenged by infrastructure deficiencies and in lifting the voices of all community members. Rebeca has also worked with diverse settings, including rural and urban communities, recent and mixed-status immigrant communities, and alternative education.

Shazia Hashmi (she/her) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate. As a Program Associate at WestEd, Shazia translates and applies research on equitable, developmentally appropriate strategies to support state education agencies, district leaders, and educators in serving communities. She supports research and technical assistance projects that focus on improving practices in social–emotional learning, school climate, and community engagement. She currently works with The California Endowment’s School Health Data Team to create supportive, engaging learning environments for students using school climate data. She also serves as a technical assistance provider for the National Center to Improve Social Emotional Learning and School Safety.

 

Peer Learning Exchange: Promoting Student Connectedness and Wellness Using Sandy Hook Promise “Know the Signs” Programs and SAVE Promise Clubs

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Sandy Hook Promise is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Turning their tragedy into a transformation, Sandy Hook Promise built innovative programs that have a proven track record preventing school violence and empowering youth to “know the signs” and build a more connected school community.

This Peer Learning Exchange will showcase how schools and districts can use Sandy Hook Promise’s no-cost “Say Something” and “Start with Hello” programs to transform school climate, improve student connectedness and create lasting change through youth-led Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Clubs. Sandy Hook Promise has been nationally recognized for the organization’s success in preventing multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence in schools across the country.

Join us for additional information on SAVE Promise Clubs to what was shared at the 2023 Annual Virtual Event.

Highlighted Resources

Presenting Partner:

Dion Chavis is the West Region Project Manager where he works to bring Sandy Hook Promise’s Know the Signs programs to schools and districts across the region. While also a speaker and trainer, Dion has successfully delivered over 500 trainings and workshop presentations in 10 different states during his career. Beyond his work as an advocate for youth violence prevention, as a community leader, he has worked to close the achievement gap and increase awareness about the importance of responsible parenting. He is also a proud husband, and father of two beautiful children.

Peer Learning Exchange: School Calming Spaces

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This Peer Learning Exchange will provide an opportunity to learn about how schools can create and use calming rooms and classroom corners to support students’ well-being and readiness to learn. Calming spaces can be integrated as part of a school’s comprehensive strategy to provide nurturing environments that foster positive student development and prevent harmful and persistent distress, thereby also improving school climate.

Laura Buckner will share lessons she gleaned from research and interviews with California school staff in developing a 2022 brief, Calming Spaces in Schools and Classrooms. Kim Bradley, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) Wellness Coordinator, will discuss how she developed school wellness centers that offer space and opportunity for students to regulate themselves, as well as connection to more robust supports and services. 

Participants will then have time to interact with colleagues from across California to share and ask about the intentions and outcomes of, as well as the nuts and bolts of setting up and overseeing, such supportive spaces.

Highlighted Resources:

Shared Resource:

Presenting Partners:

Laura Buckner is a Technical Assistance Specialist with WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team. She is the author of Calming Spaces in Schools and Classrooms, highlights of which will be shared. Laura’s work centers on sharing information that is timely, relevant, and useful to education leaders as they seek to improve systems to address the whole-person and whole-community needs of their stakeholders. She does this by translating research to practice, supporting implementation of evidence-based practices in education, and designing learning opportunities that help practitioners align their goals with their activities. Prior to joining WestEd, Laura worked with community-based organizations, partnering successfully with schools and school districts to provide mentorship and mental health services to students in grades K–12. She holds a joint MBA/MA in educational leadership from Mills College in Oakland, California. 

Kim Bradley is the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) Wellness Coordinator, overseeing the school district’s Wellness Program. She is passionate about creating opportunities for youth voice and building connections between community resources and schools. Kim has worked in various roles with Tahoe Truckee social service and educational organizations including the Truckee Parent Co-Op, Tahoe Safe Alliance, and the Community Collaborative of Tahoe Truckee, and she played a key role in the creation of North Tahoe and Truckee Family Resource Centers, Sierra Expeditionary Learning School, and the TTUSD Wellness Program. Kim has a BS in Human Development from U.C. Davis and various professional certifications. She lives with her husband and two children in Truckee, and together, they enjoy spending time in nature, skiing, hiking, and going on family camping adventures.