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.

 

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

• View the session slides
• Visit the Sand Hook Promise website

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.

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. 

The Peer Learning Exchange offers an overview of Camille Creek Community School’s implementation and continuous development of the Family Support Liaison (FSL) roles. In this presentation, learn about the who, what, why, and how of the FSL roles at Camille Creek Community School as supported by the California Community School Partnership Program.

View the highlighted resources:

• CALTRIN calendar
• Family Support Liaisons (FSL) Roles
• Camille Creek Tiered Interventions

Presenting Partner: Alonso Medrano

Mr. Alonso Medrano arrived in the United States at a very young age as an immigrant and very quickly learned the need to adapt to create a new life from nothing. He learned the importance of unity, work ethic, healing, cultural humility, family, and education. He continues to allow these to guide his personal and professional journey. Mr. Medrano is an associate marriage family therapist and holds a master’s degree in psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in psychology from Sacramento State University.

He has served in the mental health field for over 15 years. His natural inclination to work from a strength-based, culturally inclusive, and systems/collective lens has facilitated his ability to adapt to working in different places. In his current role at Camille Creek, he has been developing and implementing the parent liaison roles. These new roles focus on enhancing the school’s working relationship with parents/caregivers by creating a mutual partnership through respect, support, and meeting them where they are at.

He resides in Napa, California, where he and his wife are raising their two children. When not working, Mr. Medrano is in the kitchen cooking up a feast or at the school cafeteria trying to beat his record of preparing 125 quesabirrias for students and staff. He and his wife travel near and far for good food and enjoy getting lost in nature hikes.