Connecting with students is more important than ever! But how can we measure whether we are actually forming connections, particularly at the middle and high school level? In this facilitated course, with Community of Practice (COP), participants will learn about a Rhode Island established Connections screener, the administration process, and how data from that screener has been traditionally utilized. Participants will then work to develop and pilot the administration of a screening process within each participant’s school context, taking into account the impacts COVID-19 has had on our educational settings. The course will have required synchronous meetings (along with optional additional meeting opportunities), self-paced course completion activities aligned with evolving research and resources on connectedness as a result of redesigned educational experiences due to COVID, and creation of action steps for a screening process within each participant’s school setting.

This course is designed to provide consultation, support, and assistance to individuals and/or school teams as they plan and consider the implementation of a Connections screening process. 

This course will run from October 2021 to March 2022 and enrollment is currently open. The enrollment window for this course ends 11/15/21. If you have any questions, please contact either Kim Pristawa, kpristawa@gmail.com, or Michele Walden-Doppke, mwalden-doppke@westbaycollaborative.org.

Requirements: 

• There will be 5 required one-hour long online meetings which will be conducted after school hours (3:30-4:30pm). The first meeting will be November 16th.

• You must either develop an action plan for how a Connections screening can or will take place in your building or implement a Connections screener in your building. This may be with a small group, classroom, grade-level or greater and may involve others in your building.

Prerequisite: All participants must have taken the one hour self-paced course “The Importance of Connectedness” prior to enrolling in this course. At the end of that course, after completing all required activities, an enrollment key for this course will be provided. If you have already taken that course or have difficulty obtaining an enrollment key, contact Michele Walden-Doppke for further assistance. 

In this course you will learn about Social and Emotional Learning, (SEL) including how and why these skills are so important for our students to achieve success in school and adult life. In addition, resources and strategies will be shared that can be used immediately with your students. The content is intended to spark other new ideas on how SEL skills can enhance the instruction taking place in your classroom. This introduction to SEL is the first in a 5 part strand. Upon successful completion of this course you will have access to future courses in the strand via an enrollment key.

Many school-age children have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences – violence, abuse, neglect, and more.  The result can be psychological trauma, which can affect learning and behavior.  This course lays essential foundational knowledge to prepare educators for future coursework addressing trauma-informed supports for students.  Participants in this course will be able to:

• Describe the prevalence, characteristics and impact of trauma on children

• Recognize behavior for signs of toxic stress response
  

• Explain inter-relationships between adversity, toxic stress, trauma and illness

• Explain the current science on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)