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CULTIVATING COMPASSIONATE CHILDREN

The importance of empathy in the classroom and student development has become more recognized in recent years. However, researchers at Indiana University have found that empathy in American college students has been in decline over the past few decades, with the biggest declines corresponding to the rise in social media, narcissism, bullying, and social isolation. Fortunately, researchers in the cognitive and social sciences are findings ways to reduce conflict, bullying, and bad behavior, as well as ways to train positive emotions (such as empathy, compassion, self-compassion, kindness, gratitude, cooperation, hope, and altruism) in children. Join us in San Francisco this February to explore the “Science of Human Goodness” and how empathy, compassion, and kindness are hardwired in the brain and are essential for human survival. Learn how to cultivate empathy and compassion in your students; discover how to reduce bullying and suspensions; and examine new ways to strengthen compassion, cooperation, collaboration, and achievement in children and teens.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:
  • The science of human goodness and bad behaviors
  • Promoting altruism, fairness, empathy, and compassion
  • Ways schools can cultivate compassion and gratitude in kids
  • Class management and encouraging empathetic, positive discipline
  • How to teach kindness, self-compassion, and mindfulness in schools
  • The benefits of promoting cooperation and social-emotional learning
  • How to battle bullying and use technology to train prosocial behavior
  • The biological and evolutionary roots of altruists and psychopaths
  • Improving school behavior and climate with restorative practices
  • Raising kind, confident, and compassionate students and teens
  • Effects of executive skills and digital technology on reading
  • Enhancing empathy through stories and design thinking

Featured Speakers

Welcome Remarks/Presentation: The Power of Empathy and Compassion to Change Lives: A Personal Story

James R. Doty, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine; Director/Founder, Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University; Author, Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and Secrets of the Heart (2016); Senior Editor, Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science (2017)

The Science of Human Goodness: Cultivating Compassion and Hope

Dacher Keltner, PhD

Co-Director, Greater Good Science Center; Principal Investigator, Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley; Author, The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence (2017), "The Magic of Hope: Hope Mediates the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement" (2017, The Journal of Educational Research) and Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life (2009); Co-Author, Understanding Emotions (2013); Co-Editor, The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness (2010)

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion    More Info

Paul Bloom, PhD

Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology, Yale University; Co-Editor, Behavioral and Brain Sciences Journal; Author, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion (2016), Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil (2013), and How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like (2010)

How to Raise (Human) Goodness

Michele Borba, EdD

Psychologist; Educator; Bullying Prevention and Character Development Expert; Author, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine (2021), End Peer Cruelty, Build Empathy: The Proven 6Rs of Bullying Prevention That Create Inclusive, Safe, Caring Schools (2018); Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World (2016), The Big Book of Parenting Solutions (2009), No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them (2005), and Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing (2002)

Better Schools for Teen Brains: Executive Function, Empathy, and Social-Emotional Learning

John J. Medina, PhD

Developmental Molecular Biologist and Research Consultant; Affiliate Professor of Bioegineering, University of Washington School of Medicine; Former Director, Brain Center for Applied Learning Research, Seattle Pacific University; Author, Attack of the Teenage Brain! Understanding and Supporting the Weird and Wonderful Adolescent Learner (2018), Brain Rules (2014, 2nd Edition) and Brain Rules for Baby (2011)

The Science and Power of Compassion: Cultivating Empathy, Altruism, and Connection

Kelly M. McGonigal, PhD

Health Psychologist; Award-Winning Psychology Lecturer, Stanford University; Invited Lecturer and Co-Author of the “Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)” Course at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University School of Medicine; Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Yoga Therapy; Author, The Science of Compassion: A Modern Approach for Cultivating Empathy, Love, and Connection (2016), The Upside of Stress (2016), and The Neuroscience of Change: A Compassion-Based Program for Personal Transformation (2012)

The Power of Mindfulness in Parenting and Education    More Info

Shauna L. Shapiro, PhD

International Mindfulness/Meditation Expert; Clinical Psychologist; Professor of Counseling and Psychology, Santa Clara University; Author, Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity and Joy (Forthcoming, 2020); Co-Author, The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions (2017, 2nd Edition), Mindful Discipline: A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child (2014) and the audio book with Kristin Neff, PhD, The Science of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: How to Build New Habits to Transform Your Life (2019)

The Good News About Bad Behavior

Katherine Reynolds Lewis, BS

Scientist; Journalist; Behavior Researcher; Author, The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever And What to Do About It (2018) and “What If Everything You Knew About Disciplining Kids Was Wrong?” (2015, Mother Jones)

A New View on Empathy: How to Hack Our Ability to Understand Others at School and in Life    More Info

Jamil Zaki, PhD

Director, Social Neuroscience Lab; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Stanford University; Co-Founder, The People’s Science; Author, The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World (Forthcoming); Co-Author, "Motivated Empathy: A Social Neuroscience Perspective" (2018, Current Opinions in Psychology) and "Addressing the Empathy Deficit: Beliefs about the Malleability of Empathy Predict Effortful Responses when Empathy is Challenging" (2014, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)

1) THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN GOOD & EVIL: FROM CONFLICT TO COLLABORATION

The Science of Human Goodness: Cultivating Compassion and Hope

Dacher Keltner, PhD

Co-Director, Greater Good Science Center; Principal Investigator, Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley; Author, The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence (2017), "The Magic of Hope: Hope Mediates the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement" (2017, The Journal of Educational Research) and Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life (2009); Co-Author, Understanding Emotions (2013); Co-Editor, The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness (2010)

How to Raise (Human) Goodness

Michele Borba, EdD

Psychologist; Educator; Bullying Prevention and Character Development Expert; Author, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine (2021), End Peer Cruelty, Build Empathy: The Proven 6Rs of Bullying Prevention That Create Inclusive, Safe, Caring Schools (2018); Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World (2016), The Big Book of Parenting Solutions (2009), No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them (2005), and Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing (2002)

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion    More Info

Paul Bloom, PhD

Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology, Yale University; Co-Editor, Behavioral and Brain Sciences Journal; Author, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion (2016), Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil (2013), and How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like (2010)

The Fear Factor: The Neuroscience of Empathy, Altruism, and Psychopaths

Abigail A. Marsh, PhD

Director, Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience; Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Georgetown University; Author, "The Neuroscience of Empathy" (2018, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences) and The Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Altruists, Psychopaths, and Everyone In-Between (2017)

The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution    More Info

Richard W. Wrangham, PhD

Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology; Chair of Biological Anthropology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University; Founder, Kibale Chimpanzee Project; Trustee, The Jane Goodall Institute; Chair of the Great Ape World Heritage Species Project; MacArthur Foundation Fellow; Author, The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution (Forthcoming, 2019); Co-Author, Chimpanzees and Human Evolution (2017), In the Shadow of Man (2010, with Jane Goodall), and Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence (1997)

What Children Reveal About the Origins of Altruism and Fairness

Felix Warneken, PhD

Director, Social Minds Lab; Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan; Author, “How Children Solve the Two Challenges of Cooperation” (2018, Annual Review of Psychology); Co-Author, , “How Children Solve the Two Challenges of Cooperation” (2018, Annual Review of Psychology) and “Insights Into the Biological Foundation of Human Altruistic Sentiments” (2016, Current Opinion in Psychology); Co-Author, “Children’s Collaboration Induces Fairness Rather Than Generosity” (2017, Cognition) and “Collaboration Encourages Equal Sharing in Children, But Not in Chimpanzees” (2011, Nature)

Building Collaboration and Collective Student Efficacy

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)

Developing Collaboration and Inclusion Through Empathy

Britt Andreatta, PhD

CEO and President, 7th Mind, Inc.; Author, Wired to Connect: The Brain Science of Teams and a New Model for Creating Collaboration and Inclusion (2018)

Nurturing Connections, Identity, and Pro-Social Skills

Paula Prentis, LMSW

Licensed social worker, author, speaker and life coach. For over twenty-five years Paula has written and spoken extensively to support teens, young adults, caregivers and educators as they navigate and understand the intricacies of child development and mental health. She developed social emotional learning curriculum, and co-created a free online platform to facilitate teaching and learning about mental and physical health (www.YourSelfSeries.com). For over ten years, Paula has spoken nationwide on issues pertaining to health and wellness, neuroscience, identity development and education.

Integrating Social-Emotional Learning and Collaborative Skills in the Classroom

Becky Ladd, PhD

Professor, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology; Co-Author, “Peer Victimization Trajectories From Kindergarten Through High School: Differential Pathways for Children’s School Engagement and Achievement?” (2017, Journal of Educational Psychology), “To Tell or Not to Tell: What Influences Children's Decisions to Report Bullying to Their Teachers?” (2014, School Psychology Quarterly), and “Grade-School Children’s Social Collaborative Skills Links With Partner Preference and Achievement” (2014, American Educational Research Journal)

The Science of Prosocial Skills: How Music, Rhythm, and Synchronized Movement Enhance Empathy and Peer Cooperation

Tal-Chen Rabinowitch, PhD

Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa; Co-Author, "Synchronous rhythmic interaction enhances children's perceived similarity and closeness towards each other" (2015, PLoS One) and "Long-term Musical Group Interaction has a Positive Influence on Empathy in Children" (2013, Psychology of Music)

2) THE SCIENCE OF EMPATHY: TEACHING GRATITUDE & PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS

A New View on Empathy: How to Hack Our Ability to Understand Others at School and in Life    More Info

Jamil Zaki, PhD

Director, Social Neuroscience Lab; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Stanford University; Co-Founder, The People’s Science; Author, The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World (Forthcoming); Co-Author, "Motivated Empathy: A Social Neuroscience Perspective" (2018, Current Opinions in Psychology) and "Addressing the Empathy Deficit: Beliefs about the Malleability of Empathy Predict Effortful Responses when Empathy is Challenging" (2014, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)

The Roots of Empathy and Prosocial Behavior: Implications for Children

Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal, PhD

Miller Research Fellow, University of California, Berkeley; Co-Researcher with Empathy Neuroscientist Jean Decety; Author, “The Roots of Empathy: Through the Lens of Rodent Models” (2016, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews), “Empathy as a Driver of Prosocial Behaviour: Highly Conserved Neurobehavioural Mechanisms Across Species” (2016, The Royal Society), and “How the Social Brain Experiences Empathy: Summary of a Gathering” (2010, Social Neuroscience)

Second Nature: Using Neuroscience to Help Kids Develop Empathy and Self-Control

Erin Clabough, PhD

Neurobiologist; Assistant Professor of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College; Blogger, “Neuroparent”, Psychology Today; Author, Second Nature: How Parents Can Use Neuroscience to Help Kids Develop Empathy, Creativity, and Self-Control (Forthcoming, 2019)

Gratitude Works! The Science and Power of Gratitude

Robert A. Emmons, PhD

Professor of Psychology, University of California, Davis; One of the World's Leading Experts on Gratitude; Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Positive Psychology; Author, The Little Book of Gratitude (2016), Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity (2013), Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make Your Happier (2007); Co-Author, The Psychology of Gratitude (2004)

The Cultivation of Altruism via Gratitude

Christina M. Karns, PhD

Research Associate, Brain Development Lab; Director, Emotions and Neuroplasticity Project; Instructor, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon; Co-Author, "The Cultivation of Pure Altruism via Gratitude: A Functional MRI Study of Change with Gratitude Practice" (2017, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience)

Nurturing the Roots of Empathy in Education

Mary Gordon

Founder and President, Roots of Empathy; Author, Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child by Child (2005)

Supporting Student Success: Encouraging Empathy and Social-Emotional Learning    More Info

Kathy Perez, EdD

Professor, Teacher Leadership Program; Director of Outreach and Professional Development, Saint Mary’s College of California; Author, 200+ Proven Strategies for Teaching Reading, Grades K-8 (2016), New Inclusion: Differentiated Strategies to Engage ALL Students (2013) and More Than 100 Brain-Friendly Tools and Strategies for Literacy Instruction (2008)

3) THE SCIENCE OF COMPASSION: CULTIVATING KINDNESS IN CHILDREN & CLASSROOMS

The Science and Power of Compassion

Kelly M. McGonigal, PhD

Health Psychologist; Award-Winning Psychology Lecturer, Stanford University; Invited Lecturer and Co-Author of the “Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)” Course at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University School of Medicine; Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Yoga Therapy; Author, The Science of Compassion: A Modern Approach for Cultivating Empathy, Love, and Connection (2016), The Upside of Stress (2016), and The Neuroscience of Change: A Compassion-Based Program for Personal Transformation (2012)

How Compassion Meditation Transforms the Brain and Altruistic Behavior in Young Adults

Helen Y. Weng, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; Core Faculty Member, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine; Affiliate Faculty Member, Neuroscape Research Labs, University of California, San Francisco; Mind and Life Intitute Fellow; Clinical psychologist and neuroscientist who studies the neural mechanisms of compassion meditation and focused attention to the body. Her work has demonstrated that compassion is a skill that may be learned, which impacts both altruistic and brain responses to human suffering. She currently is using machine learning to optimize measurement of meditation skills, and is increasing diversity within the field of the neuroscience of meditation; Co-Author, “The Impact of Compassion Training on the Brain and Prosocial Behavior” (2017, Handbook of Compassion Science) and “The Role of Compassion in Altruistic Helping and Punishment Behavior” (2015, PLoS ONE)

Strategies That Work: How to Raise and Educate Kind Kids    More Info

Thomas E. Lickona, PhD

Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility); Professor of Education Emeritus, State University of New York at Cortland; Blogger, “Raising Kind Kids”, Psychology Today; Author, How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain (2018), Raising Good Children: From Birth Through The Teenage Years (2012), and Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility (2009)

Making Friends With Yourself: A Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens    More Info

Karen Bluth, PhD

Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Associate Editor, Mindfulness; Author, The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness and Compassion Skills to Overcome Self-Criticism and Embrace Who You Are (2017); Co-Author, “New Frontiers in Understanding the Benefits of Self-Compassion” (2018, Self & Identity), “Response to a Mindful Self-Compassion Intervention in Teens: A Within-person Association of Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Emotional Well-being Outcomes” (2017, Journal of Adolescents), and “A School-Based Mindfulness Pilot Study for Ethnically Diverse At-Risk Adolescents” (2016, Mindfulness)

A Mindful Approach to Cultivating Care in Education

Lisa Flook, PhD

Senior Researcher, Deeper Learning Team, Learning Policy Institute, CA; Former Associate Scientist, Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Co-Author, "Neural Correlates of Video Game Empathy Training in Adolescents: A Randomized Trial" (2018, Science of Learning) and “Promoting Prosocial Behavior and Self-Regulatory Skills in Preschool Children Through a Mindfulness-Based Kindness Curriculum” (2014, Developmental Psychology)

Hacking School Culture: Designing Compassionate Classrooms

Ellen Feig Gray, MA, CIPP, CPPC

Certified Positive Psychology Practitioner; Applied Developmental Psychology Researcher; Founder, Parent with Perspective; Co-Author with Angela Stockman, Hacking School Culture: Designing Compassionate Classrooms (2018); Co-Founder, Compassionate Classrooms

No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls

Katie F. Hurley, LCSW

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist; Parenting Expert; Founder of “Girls Can!”, an empowerment group for girls between ages 5-11; Author, The Depression Workbook for Teens: Tools to Improve Your Mood, Build Self-Esteem, and Stay Motivated (2019) and The Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World (2015)

4) EMPATHY, TEENS, & TECHNOLOGY: PROSOCIAL GAMES & REDUCING TROLLING/BULLYING

Better Schools for Teen Brains: Executive Function, Empathy, and Social-Emotional Learning

John J. Medina, PhD

Developmental Molecular Biologist and Research Consultant; Affiliate Professor of Bioegineering, University of Washington School of Medicine; Former Director, Brain Center for Applied Learning Research, Seattle Pacific University; Author, Attack of the Teenage Brain! Understanding and Supporting the Weird and Wonderful Adolescent Learner (2018), Brain Rules (2014, 2nd Edition) and Brain Rules for Baby (2011)

Cultivating Compassion, Empathy, and Socialization in an Unbalanced Digital World

Ana R. Homayoun, MA, PPS

Founder and Director, Green Ivy Educational Consulting; Author, Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World (2017), The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping Our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life (2013) and That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life (2010)

Shame Nation: Helping Teens Choose Kindness and Compassion in an Age of Trolling

Sue Scheff

Author; Parent Advocate; Cyber Advocate; Founder, Parents' Universal Resource Experts Inc.; Board of Advisors, CiviliNation; Contributor to Journals such as Psychology Today, Connect Safely, Parenting Today’s Kids, NBC's Education Nation and Stop-Bullies.com; Author, Wit's End: Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-Control Teen (2008), Shame Nation: Choosing Kindness and Compassion in an Age of Cruelty and Trolling (2018) and Google Bomb: The Untold Story of the $11.3M Verdict that Changed the Way We Use the Internet (2009)

Using Video Games for Prosocial Training in Adolescents

Kurt D. Squire, PhD

Faculty, Connected Learning Lab; Professor, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine; Co-Author, “Neural Correlates of Video Game Empathy Training in Adolescents: A Randomized trial” (2018, Science of Learning), “The Problem with Screen Time” (2017, Teachers College Record), “Creating the Future of Games and Learning” (2015, Independent School), and “Educational Game Design--Prototyping with Purpose” (2013, International Society of the Learning Sciences)

Beyond BFFs: Using Digital Technology to Increase Empathy and Prosocial Behavior

Sara H. Konrath, PhD

Principal Investigator, Interdisciplinary Program for Empathy and Altruism Research (iPEAR); Associate Professor, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University; Visiting Scholar, The New School; Co-Author, “Digital Life and Youth Well-being, Social Connectedness, Empathy, and Narcissism” (2017, Pediatrics), “Geographic Variation in Empathy: A State-Level Analysis” (2016, Journal of Research in Personality) and “Can Text Messages Increase Empathy and Prosocial Behavior? The Development and Initial Validation of Text to Connect” (2015, PLoS ONE)

Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander: 10 Practical Strategies to Reduce Bullying and Create a Positive Culture

Christa M. Tinari, MA

President, PeacePraxi; Nationally recognized Safe Schools and School Climate Specialist, with particular expertise in Bullying Prevention, Positive Discipline, and Social-Emotional Learning; Former Adjunct Instructor at Temple University; Former High School Student Assistance Counselor, and Director of Prevention Programs at a community-based educational non-profit; Creator of The Feel & Deal Activity Deck, an emotional intelligence tool used on six continents; Co-Creator of The School Climate Thermometer, a survey instrument designed to ‘take the temperature’ of school climate at middle schools; Co-Author, Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School: 48 Character-Building Lessons to Foster Respect and Prevent Bullying (2017)

Victims of Peer Bullying and Aggression in Schools: Academic and Social Consequences

Gary W. Ladd, EdD

Cowden Distinguished Professor, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University; Principal Investigator, The Pathways Project; Co-Author, “Peer Victimization Trajectories From Kindergarten Through High School: Differential Pathways for Children’s School Engagement and Achievement?” (2017, Journal of Educational Psychology), “To Tell or Not to Tell: What Influences Children's Decisions to Report Bullying to Their Teachers?” (2014, School Psychology Quarterly), and “Grade-School Children’s Social Collaborative Skills Links With Partner Preference and Achievement” (2014, American Educational Research Journal)

Effects of Adolescents' Social-Emotional Skills and Empathy on Learning: How "I Imagine" Becomes "I Remember"    More Info

Rebecca JM Gotlieb, PhD

Educational Psychology, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California; Co-Author, "Embodied Brains, Social Minds, Cultural Meaning: Integrating Neuroscientific and Educational Research on Social-Affective Development" (2017, American Educational Research Journal)

5) THE SCIENCE OF BAD BEHAVIOR: PROMOTING POSITIVE DISCIPLINE & RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

How Teacher Empathy Can Reduce Suspensions and Discipline Problems

Jason A. Okonofua, PhD

Social Psychologist; Assistant Professor, Psychology Department, University of California, Berkeley; Researcher who has launched with Google an online intervention program for schools on bias and empathy, and is also collaborating with the Juvenile Justice Center in Alameda County to ease youth offender’s transition back into school; Co-Author, “Brief Intervention to Encourage Empathic Discipline Cuts Suspension Rates in Half Among Adolescents” (2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

Positive Discipline: Tools for Classroom Management for Connections, Cooperation, and Conflict Resolution

Jane Nelsen, EdD, LMFT

Psychologist; Educator; Family and Child Couselor; Author and Co-Author of the Positive Discipline series, including Positive Discipline Tools for Teachers: Effective Classroom Management for Social, Emotional, and Academic Success (2017), Positive Discipline in the Classroom: Developing Mutual Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in Your Classroom (2013, 4th Edition) and Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World (2000, 2nd Edition)

The Power of Mindfulness in Parenting, Discipline, and Education    More Info

Shauna L. Shapiro, PhD

International Mindfulness/Meditation Expert; Clinical Psychologist; Professor of Counseling and Psychology, Santa Clara University; Author, Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity and Joy (Forthcoming, 2020); Co-Author, The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions (2017, 2nd Edition), Mindful Discipline: A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child (2014) and the audio book with Kristin Neff, PhD, The Science of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: How to Build New Habits to Transform Your Life (2019)

The Good News About Bad Behavior    More Info

Katherine Reynolds Lewis, BS

Scientist; Journalist; Behavior Researcher; Author, The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever And What to Do About It (2018) and “What If Everything You Knew About Disciplining Kids Was Wrong?” (2015, Mother Jones)

6) THE SCIENCE OF STORIES: ENGAGING EMPATHY, READING, & LANGUAGE

Empathy and the Reading Brain in a Digital World

Maryanne Wolf, PhD

Director, Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice; Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles; Affiliate Faculty, Dyslexia Center, University of California San Francisco Medical School; Presidential Fellow, Chapman University; Board Member, Curious Learning: A Global Literacy Initiative; Author, Reader Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (2018) Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century (2016) and Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (2007)

Early Education and the Brain: How Goal Directed Attention Changes Math and Reading Circuits in Children

Bruce D. McCandliss, PhD

Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education; Professor, Department of Psychology, Stanford University; Co-Principal Investigator, “Contributions of Executive Function Subdomains to Math and Reading Cognition in the Classroom” Project; Co-Author, “Developmental Change in Cerebellar White Matter Pathways is Associated With Reading Proficiency in Children” (2017, Society for the Neurobiology of Language) and “Effects of Tutorial Interventions in Mathematics and Attention for Low-Performing Preschool Children” (2016, Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness)

The Neural Correlates of Empathy and the Narrative Brain    More Info

Jonas T. Kaplan, PhD

Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute; Co-Director, Dana and David Dornsife Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, University of Southern California; Co-Author, “Decoding the Neural Representation of Story Meanings Across Languages” (2017, Human Brain Mapping), “Neural Correlates of Gratitude” (2015, Frontiers in Psychology) and “Getting a Grip on Other Minds: Mirror Neurons, Intention Understanding, and Cognitive Empathy” (2006, Social Neuroscience)

Turbocharging the Brain: Influences of Shared Reading Practices and Animated Content in Preschool    More Info

John S. Hutton, MD, MS

Pediatrician; Assistant Professor, Reading & Literacy Discovery Center; Assistant Professor, Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Owner, Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore; Co-Author, “Shared Reading Quality and Brain Activation during Story Listening in Preschool-Age Children” (2017, Journal of Pediatrics) and “How to Create a Successful Reader? Milestones in Reading Development from Birth to Adolescence” (2017, Acta Paediatrica); Author of several children's books, including ADH-Me!, Sherm the Germ, and Zzzookeeper

Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities Through Positive Collaboration, Empathy, and Kindness

Daniel Franklin, PhD

Board Certified Educational Therapist; Founder and President, Franklin Educational Services, Inc.; Developer of Academic Management, a highly structured, clinical approach to tutoring that addresses each child's unique academic, organizational and social-emotional needs; Author, Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities (2018)

Make Learning Epic: The Power of Story and Empathy in the Classroom

Trevor Muir, MA

Lecturer, Grand Valley State University; Former Teacher at New Tech Project Based Learning School; Author, The Collaborative Classroom: Teaching Students How to Work Together Now (2019) and The Epic Classroom: How to Boost Engagement, Make Learning Memorable, and Transform Lives (2017)

The Power of Academic Conversations for Empathy, Equity, Agency, and Identity

Jeff A. Zwiers, PhD

Senior Researcher, Stanford Graduate School of Education, Stanford University; Author, Academic Conversations: Classroom Talk That Fosters Critical Thinking and Content Understandings (2011), Building Reading Comprehension Habits in Grade 6-12 (2010) and Building Academic Language: Essential Practice for Content Classrooms (2008); Co-Author, The K-3 Guide to Academic Conversations: Practices, Scaffolds, and Activities (2017)

Beyond the Golden Rule: Critical Civic Empathy in Literacy Instruction

Nicole Mirra, PhD

Assistant Professor, Urban Teacher Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Editor, English/Language Arts Education, CITE Journal; Co-Author, Doing Youth Participatory Action Research: Transforming Inquiry with Researchers, Educators, & Students (2015)

Co-Sponsors Include:

Graduate School of Education, Stanford University

Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University

Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley

Neuroscape, University of California, San Francisco

Laboratory for Educational NeuroScience (brainLENS), University of California, San Francisco

Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, The Dana Foundation

Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara

Mind, Brain and Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education

LEARNING & the BRAIN® Foundation

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)