Life Skills

Randy Ross has over 50 years of experience as a writer, teacher, administrator, coach, and facilitator of dialogue and professional learning. She has worked with community, school, district, and state education leaders for nearly 30 years.

Explore how school leaders can cultivate compassion and equity in their school communities. By leveraging antiracist and culturally competent professional development, program planning, and curriculum, leaders can improve their school climate, addressing the numerous inequities their students, staff, and families face, paving the way for lasting change.

Mark Anthony Gooden, PhD, is a Christian Johnson Endeavor professor of education leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Gooden has spent over two decades in higher education developing and teaching courses in culturally responsive leadership, race, law, and research methods.

Dr. Dawn Brooks DeCosta, EdD, is a distinguished educator and leader, currently serving as the deputy superintendent for Harlem Community School District 5. She is a renowned advocate for culturally responsive teaching and social-emotional learning.

Inspired by the book A Blueprint for Belonging, this session offers a transformative approach to leadership and team building for educators, leaders, and paraprofessionals. Explore strategies to prevent burnout, build resilience, and foster cultures of belonging using the BUILD framework (Boundaries, Understanding, Integrity, Listening, Dependability), while tackling leadership challenges in high-impact roles.

Equipped with 25 essential practices, educators can use this guide to reinvigorate their ELA classrooms. These strategies cultivate engagement and independent learning, helping students strengthen literary analysis of texts, pursue inquiries, and cultivate their voice as readers and writers.

Build compassionate classrooms and mindful schools that prioritize both learning and well-being. Based on the latest neuroscience research, this book provides mindfulness exercises as well as trauma-informed practices for creating positive learning environments.

Reach alienated youth using the unique strategies of the updated Reclaiming Youth at Risk book by Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern. Learn how cultivating the Circle of Courage values of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity can combat core hazards that dominate the lives of youth at risk.

With this timely guide, you will discover actionable steps for launching and sustaining wraparound services embedded within your school that support the whole child. Amplify student voice and build mental health with strategies that improve academic achievement and classroom behavior.