2024 CDE Fall Conference: Creating a Landscape of Wellbeing and Belonging

Educators and parents continue to struggle with the negative effects of screen time and social media. This presentation will focus on current research around challenges with behaviors, attention and social interactions related to screen time and social media use, and what we can reasonably do today.

Session Objectives:

• The goals for this presentation are to present research and facts about the harmful impact screens and social media has on today’s youth and empower parents and educators to advocate for what children need to feel less helpless.
• Access up-to-date research and facts
• Feel empowered to advocate for how to help
• Action steps you can implement now

TBD

As LEAs welcome newly arriving immigrant children and youth into schools, many of these students are facing high mobility and homelessness. Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, newly arriving children and youth experiencing homelessness have access to services and supports within the school community. However, school-community partnerships are essential to meet the needs of students and their families outside of school. This session will focus on the intersections of high mobility, homelessness, and immigration, as well as best practices to leverage school-community partnerships to meet student needs.

Session Objectives:

1. Participants will gain a basic understanding of immigration and its intersection with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

2. Participants will learn how school-community partnerships are critical to meeting the needs of immigrant children, youth, and families who are highly mobile or experiencing homelessness.

3. Participants will enhance their knowledge of best practices for supporting immigration students.

We’ll share highlights from the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) statewide results: How did adolescent health and wellness change in Colorado between 2021 and 2023? What are key strengths and needs among Colorado youth? The second part of the session will be guided workshop time: use your community-specific lens to explore local, regional, or statewide HKCS data. How can this data be used for needs assessment, grant applications, or progress monitoring? Bring a laptop for the optimal experience. Staff from the Colorado School of Public Health will be on hand to answer questions and provide tips.

Session Objectives:

1. Examine highlights from 2023 HKCS statewide data

2. Use a community-specific lens to explore local, regional, or statewide HKCS data

3. Develop a plan to use HKCS data to support your community

Discussing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has encountered various challenges across Colorado and throughout the United States. Unfortunately, it has been subject to misconceptions, including confusion with Critical Race Theory and unfounded associations with certain agendas (including those who advocate for LGBTQ+ rights). Addressing SEL has thus become increasingly complex. However, we aim to offer adaptable approaches endorsed by statewide organizations, tailored to your school community's values.

Session Objectives:

• Participants will receive practical tools to navigate these discussions effectively
• Participants will learn different options when addressing the terms of Social Emotional Learning programming.
• Participants will learn techniques to calm high conflict conversations around Social Emotional Learning.

Utilizing a trauma-informed approach with highly mobile students is an important practice to avoid re-traumatizing youth. Rather than punishing students for things they can’t control, we want to give youth the support and resources they need to succeed. Learn from Colorado State University independent student presenters about some of the school policy challenges and how K-12 staff best supported them through their highly mobile experiences. Join us for this interactive session equipping participants with what we need to know for supporting youth in a trauma informed way through school systems.

Session Objectives
Conference attendees who engage in this session will be able to accomplish the following:
• Summarize what a trauma-informed approach looks like in a middle/high school setting
• Identify best practices for engaging with highly mobile students navigating school systems
• Discuss that college is a safe place with a middle school or high school student