Speakers and Sessions

CREATING THRIVING SCHOOLS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

While the pandemic has left many students feeling stressed and uncertain about the future, schools can become places that help students learn and thrive in this uncertainty.

Psychological science research has found that providing a sense of purpose and meaning, fostering love and social connections, and encouraging curious exploration can help children thrive despite rising anxiety, trauma, economic hardship, and challenges. In fact, Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman proposes that Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” is more like a ship than a pyramid where the sails that propels self-actualization and helps buffer against fear and uncertainty are purpose, love, and exploration.

This virtual conference will show how students, teachers, and leaders can cope, grow, learn, and thrive in a new normal of uncertainty. It will explore the science and benefits of promoting purpose, restoring connections, supporting self-stories, and cultivating curiosity. Discover ways to create thriving schools and classrooms, meaningful learning, a sense of belonging, teamwork, and collaboration, resilient students, and curious classrooms that will boost learning and thriving in an uncertain Post-COVID Age.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@learningandtheb / #latb59) for conference updates and news.
 

Imagine if schools weren't only a place to learn standardized academic material but were also places of wonder, awe, and self-actualization, as well as hope for humanity.”
— Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, Columbia University


LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:

  • Leading and changing schools for a changing world
  • The science of purpose and creating purposeful classrooms
  • Helping students, teachers, and leaders cope, grow, and thrive
  • The science of social connections and moving from just “me” to “we”
  • How curiosity counters anxiety and how to create curious classrooms
  • Strategies for self-care, resilience, and change for educators and leaders
  • Benefits of games, design thinking, and curiosity for math and reading
  • The need for purpose, meaning, and exploration in uncertain times
  • Ways to strengthen student resilience and agency for achievement
  • Creating schools of belonging and promoting positive self-stories
  • Providing purposeful, meaningful collaboration and teamwork

 
Registrants who are unable to view a live conference presentation on April 17 or April 18 will be able to view a recording of any conference presentation for the one month following the virtual conference.



This Unique Conference Will Provide You With:

  • 2 days of LIVE keynote presentations and breakout sessions from renowned psychologists and cognitive scientists
  • LIVE Q&A periods with experts and ways to connect with colleagues through our social networking features
  • Up to 12 hours of LIVE Professional Development
  • More than 30 hours of conference recordings for a limited time after the conference
  • Access to slides and resources from presenters
  • The latest research on thriving, purpose, meaning, social connections, curiosity, and more...



WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Educators, Parents
Curriculum, Staff Developers
Speech-Language Pathologists
PreK-12 Teachers, Administrators
Learning Specialists, Special Educators
Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors
Early Childhood Educators, Professionals
Reading, Math, Science, Technology Teachers
Superintendents, Principals, School Heads
Adolescent Educators, Clinicians, Counselors
Social Workers, Mental Health Professionals
Guidance, Career, College Counselors
College, University Professors

Featured Speakers

Setting Sail: The Need for Purpose, Meaning, and Exploration in a Sea of Uncertainty

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Cognitive and Humanistic Psychologist; Founder and Director, Center for Human Potential; Former Adjunct Associate Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University; Honorary Principal Fellow, Center for Wellbeing Science, University of MelbourneFormer Scientific Director, The Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania; Host of the #1 Psychology Podcast, The Psychology Podcast, with over 30 million downloads; Columnist, “Beautiful Minds,” Scientific American; Author, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization (2020), Twice Exceptional (2018), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined (2015); Co-Author, Learned Helplessness (2020), Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt (2022), Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2016), and “Imagination Is the Seed of Creativity” (2018, The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity)

Building Our Children’s Resilience, Wellbeing, and Prosociality Through Positive Connections

Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD

The Neurobiology of Me and We (MWe): Integrating Both for Belonging and Thriving Relationships After COVID    More Info

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

From Leadership to Buildership: Build Better Schools While Thriving in Your True Purpose

Robyn R. Jackson, PhD

The Deep History of Ourselves

Joseph E. LeDoux, PhD

Leveraging Curiosity: Detailing Pathways for Maximal Student Wellbeing, Resilience, and Learning

Todd B. Kashdan, PhD

Professor of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022) and The Upside of Your Darkside (2017); Co-Author, “Understanding Psychological Flexibility: A Multimethod Exploration of Pursuing Valued Goals Despite the Presence of Distress” (2020, Psychological Assessment) and “Meaning in Life Buffers the Impact of Experiential Avoidance on Anxiety” (2020, Contextual Behavioral Science)

The Power of Meaning

Emily Esfahani Smith, MA

The New Science of Thriving: Helping Children Flourish in a Post-COVID World    More Info

Christina D. Bethell, PhD

1) PURPOSEFUL BRAINS: CREATING SCHOOLS OF MEANING & PURPOSE TO HELP KIDS THRIVE

Setting Sail: The Need for Purpose, Meaning, and Exploration in a Sea of Uncertainty

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Cognitive and Humanistic Psychologist; Founder and Director, Center for Human Potential; Former Adjunct Associate Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University; Honorary Principal Fellow, Center for Wellbeing Science, University of MelbourneFormer Scientific Director, The Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania; Host of the #1 Psychology Podcast, The Psychology Podcast, with over 30 million downloads; Columnist, “Beautiful Minds,” Scientific American; Author, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization (2020), Twice Exceptional (2018), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined (2015); Co-Author, Learned Helplessness (2020), Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt (2022), Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2016), and “Imagination Is the Seed of Creativity” (2018, The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity)

From Leadership to Buildership: Build Better Schools While Thriving in Your True Purpose

Robyn R. Jackson, PhD

The Science and Power of Meaning

Emily Esfahani Smith, MA

Promoting Purposeful Learning in Teens and Schools

Patrick Cook-Deegan, BA

Lecturer, Stanford University; Social Entrepreneur who has developed experiential education programs for mindfulness education (Inward Bound Mindfulness Education), wilderness education (Back to Earth), and social innovation (Brown University’s Social Innovation Initiative); Founder, Director, and CEO, Project Wayfinder - an educational organization funded by the Stanford University d.School to equip students and teachers with tools and skills to create purposeful lives; Former Fulbright Scholar; Author, Redesigning American High Schools for the 21st Century” (2016, Stanford Social Innovation Review

Helping Children and Teens Discover Their Purpose in Life and Thrive

Kendall Cotton Bronk, PhD

Thrive: Reinventing the Purpose of Schools for a Changing World

Valerie Hannon, MEd

The Human Side of Education: Authentic Leadership in Turbulent Times    More Info

Julie M. (Wilson) Jungalwala, MEd

Purposeful, Meaningful Classrooms: Establishing Purpose for Yourself and Your Students

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Classroom Teacher, Health Sciences High and Middle College; Co-Author, Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students, Staff, and Communities (2022), The Social-Emotional Learning Playbook (2022), The Restorative Practices Playbook: Tools for Transforming Discipline in Schools (2022), and Removing Labels: 40 Techniques to Disrupt Negative Expectations About Students and Schools (2021)

2) THRIVING SCHOOLS: RAISING RESILIENCE IN STUDENTS, TEACHERS, & SCHOOL LEADERS

The New Science of Thriving: Helping Children Flourish in a Post-COVID World

Christina D. Bethell, PhD

A Neuroscience Approach to Improving Student Resiliency in Uncertain Times

Horacio Sanchez, MEd

President/CEO, Resiliency Inc.; Former Teacher; Former Mental Health Director and Consultant; Author, The Poverty Problem: How Education Can Promote Resilience and Counter Poverty’s Impact on Brain Development and Functioning (2021), The Education Revolution: How to Apply Brain Science to Improve Instruction and School Climate (2016), and A Brain-Based Approach to Closing the Achievement Gap (2008)

The First Step to Resilience: Don't Make Things Harder on Yourself

Mark R. Leary, PhD

Building Resilience and Psychological Thriving in Times of Chaos and Uncertainty

Emma Seppälä, PhD

Taking Time for You: Self-Care for Educators

Tina H. Boogren, PhD

Training the Brain to Thrive: A Framework for Promoting Purpose, Connections, and Curiosity

Cortland Dahl, PhD

Teaching Mathematics for Human Flourishing and Thriving

Francis E. Su, PhD

The Thriving Educator: Empowering Wellbeing Through Purpose, Perspective, and Perseverance

Chase Mielke, MA

Thriving in Today's Age of Anxiety and an Education Mental Health Crisis: Teaching Collective Efficacy to Cultivate Resilience, Mindfulness, and Reframe Self-Stories

Kristen Lee, EdD, LICSW

3) CONNECTED BRAINS: BUILDING SCHOOLS OF BELONGING, COLLABORATION, & TEAMWORK

Building Our Children’s Resilience, Wellbeing, and Prosociality Through Positive Connections

Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD

The Neurobiology of Me and We (MWe): Integrating Both for Belonging and Thriving Relationships After COVID

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

We Are Crew: Creating Schools of Belonging and Teamwork

Ron Berger, MEd

Rebuilding Relationships and Conflict Recovery After COVID-19

Candice D. Barnes, EdD

Purposeful, Meaningful Collaboration: Teaching Students How to Work Together

Trevor Muir, MA

The Psychology of Belonging: Boosting a Sense of Belonging in Schools

Kelly-Ann Allen, PhD, FAPS

Neurodiversity in Schools: Creating a Culture of Belonging

Lauren Hough Williams, MSEd

Neurodiversity in Schools: Creating a Culture of Belonging

Maxwell Schneider, MA, MHC-LP

Flexing Muscles: Re-Awakening Atrophied Social Connections and Skills Needed for Post-Pandemic Learning

Karen S. Norris, PhD

Flexing Muscles: Re-Awakening Atrophied Social Connections and Skills Needed for Post-Pandemic Learning

Rhonda Vincent, PhD

4) CURIOUS MINDS: CULTIVATING CURIOSITY FOR LEARNING, COPING, & MENTAL HEALTH

Leveraging Curiosity: Detailing Pathways for Maximal Student Wellbeing, Resilience, and Learning

Todd B. Kashdan, PhD

Professor of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022) and The Upside of Your Darkside (2017); Co-Author, “Understanding Psychological Flexibility: A Multimethod Exploration of Pursuing Valued Goals Despite the Presence of Distress” (2020, Psychological Assessment) and “Meaning in Life Buffers the Impact of Experiential Avoidance on Anxiety” (2020, Contextual Behavioral Science)

Thriving and Curiosity: Ensuring Young Children’s Wellbeing, Achievement, and Curiosity

Prachi E. Shah, MD

Curiosity in the Classroom: Promoting Curiosity, Exploration, and Scientific Thinking

Jamie J. Jirout, PhD

Building a Curious School

Bryan R. Goodwin, MA

Creating Curious Classrooms

Kathleen M. Kryza, MA

Master Teacher; CIO, Infinite Horizons; Co-Author, Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally (2015), Developing Growth Mindsets in the Inspiring Classroom (2011), Inspiring Elementary Learners (2008), Inspiring Middle and Secondary Learners (2007), and Differentiation for Real Classrooms (2009)

The Future of Education: Applying Cognitive Science, Design Thinking, and Games to Bring Purpose, Passion, and Curiosity to the Classroom

Lindsay Portnoy, PhD

Cognitive Scientist; Associate Teaching Professor in the Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, Doctor of Education Program, Northeastern University; Former Teacher; Co-Founder of Immersive Science Learning Company, Killer Snails; Author, “An Opportunity for an Improved Post-Pandemic Education” (2021, Age of Awareness), Game On? Brain On! The Surprising Relationship Between Play and Gray (Matter) (2020) and Designed to Learn: Using Design Thinking to Bring Purpose and Passion to the Classroom (2019)

The Neuroscience of Curiosity: How Curiosity Affects Learning in Children and Adolescents

Matthias J. Gruber, PhD

5) STORYTELLING BRAINS: SUPPORTING SELF-STORIES, AUTHENTICITY, & AGENCY

The Deep History of Ourselves

Joseph E. LeDoux, PhD

Redirect: Strengthening Students by Editing Their Self-Stories

Timothy D. Wilson, PhD

The Power of Student Agency: Developing Purpose, Grit, and Positive Change

Anindya Kundu, PhD

A Neurological Approach to Thriving: Building Student Strengths and Self-Stories in Schools

Paula Prentis, LMSW

Strengthen Literacy by Focusing on Self-Efficacy, Relevance, Agency, and Authenticity

Leslie E. Laud, EdD

From Striving to Thriving: Creating, Curious, Capable, and Confident Readers

Annie Ward, MEd