
Practice Makes Perfect
The SEL Blog
Over the past year, a small group of trauma-informed and inspired counselors from Kenai Peninsula Borough School District have met to collaborate and support the implementation of SEL in their schools. These counselors service schools with at-risk populations, small rural schools, and schools with high poverty rates. This small but mighty group of counselors plans to build off this loose meeting structure and create a formal coalition aimed at increasing efforts in our district to focus on resilience, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed practices. Last year the Alaska Department of Education released its statewide Framework for Alaska Trauma-Engaged Practice in Alaska that outlines a schoolwide trauma engaged approach to improve academic outcomes and well-being for students. This resource is designed for use by school/community teams seeking to make schools a place of positive transformation and significant learning. This framework is the perfect guiding document for change on a schoolwide, districtwide, and statewide level. With support from the NoVo EPC grant, we will transform this newly-released framework from a vision to a lived reality in high priority schools across our district. We believe a strong foundation for bringing this framework to life starts with this small group of guiding people. We hope to create equity among these rural, remote, and urban school environments. Our goal is to increase student mental health access through a broad spectrum of educational and health-enhancing services.
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Erin Farrell
What most excites us about our project is that students are excited about mentoring and the impact it has on... October 2021Read Story
Emily Mattinson
The Hidden Hollow Elementary School C.A.R.E. program will be a way to facilitate discussions and share resources with all teachers... October 2021Read Story
Emily Augustine
Clay Hill Public Charter School is seeking to establish and foster a safe, supportive, and affirming school culture in its... October 2021Read Story
Ellie Grose
We’d like to expand our understanding of mindfulness for both staff and students as well as enhance the Mindful Spaces—our... October 2021Read Story
Elizabeth Barszcz
Our project builds upon the foundation established by our SEL in Action grant project from last year. Last year we... October 2021Read Story
Danielle DuPuis
The Rainbow Ribbon Schools program is a collaboration of students, staff, parents, and community who will create a set of... October 2021Read Story
Dana Altshuler
HPS will launch an Ethnic Studies Alumni student-to-teacher pathway through which we will engage Program alumni through paid Fellowships. Building... October 2021Read Story
Cassandra Kenney
With the funds from the SEL in Action grant, district leadership in Behavioral Health and Equity will bring together people... October 2021Read Story