Resources for Connecting and Communicating with Your Community | September 2022

This month's updates from The BELE Network [View this email in your browser]( Good morning BELE family, As a new school year is well underway, new connections are being made: students meeting new teachers in class, educators meeting parents at back-to-school nights, school and district leaders meeting community members over social media, and so much more. These connections can be springboards to building authentic partnerships between teachers and community members that ultimately improve students’ experiences at school. The BELE Network is excited to share two impactful resources to support educators and school staff in making the most out of back-to-school connections. The first is a new piece from CASEL titled [Back-to-School Nights — A Missed Opportunity](. In it, Karen VanAusdal, Melissa Schlinger, and Tyrone Martinez-Black from CASEL offer tips for educators to keep in mind as they welcome families back to school. Second is the [Social Media Guidance for Conversations About Equity]( a resource geared towards school and district staff who engage with community members over social media. Our hope is that these two resources provide a strong foundation for effective conversations at multiple levels with communities, all in service of continuing BELE’s longstanding commitment: the improvement of the student experience for all children. In partnership, The RALLY BELE team Introducing the BELE Learning Series [District-Level Learnings From the Field: What Needs to be True When Redesigning School District Systems and Structures for Human Thriving? | CASEL & National Equity Project]( CASEL and NEP authored the first learning brief in this learning series, exploring insights from their equity initiatives in partner districts. It focuses on the conditions necessary to create equitable learning environments that enhance the student experience, and pinpoints where districts should focus their efforts to sustain meaningful change. Read it in the BELE Resource Library [here](. The Latest from the BELE Network New National Coalition to Fight Misinformation, Protect Social and Emotional Learning in Schools | CASEL CASEL and 19 education organizations launched [Leading with SEL]( a coalition advocating for social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools. This coalition represents research-based information on social and emotional learning and helps broaden awareness of the benefits of supporting the social, emotional, and academic development of children. Read about the coalition, its goals, and its members [here](. The Innovative Models Exchange | Transcend Transcend just launched The Innovative Models Exchange, a source to discover learning models alongside the support to help communities implement them. This library offers innovation-minded leaders the resources they need to lift students up. Access it [here](. Back-to-School Nights — A Missed Opportunity | CASEL Back-to-school nights are opportunities to create authentic connections between schools and families utilizing SEL. As SEL and academic growth are intertwined throughout our students’ school experiences, back-to-school nights can model these connections for caregivers. Read the piece [here]( to learn about how to foster community in school districts at the start of the school year. Upcoming Events & Opportunities October 13: 2022 SEL Exchange Virtual Summit | CASEL The SEL Exchange Virtual Summit hosted by CASEL, Weaving a New Tapestry: Schools, Families, and Communities Together, aims to build deeper community partnerships that benefit all students and adults. This summit will connect the common threads and spark innovations with SEL. Click [here]( to learn more and register. October 20-22: Black Teacher Leadership & Sustainability Institute | National Equity Project The Black Teacher Project is hosting the Black Teacher Leadership & Sustainability Institute in Chicago, IL — an in person event designed to be an experiential opportunity for Black educators to deepen commitment and agency in their work while developing strategies to lead and thrive in their contexts. Read more about the Institute and register [here](. October 20-22: Fall Forum 2022 - Data Rules Everything Around Me | Kingmakers of Oakland Kingmakers of Oakland is hosting a hybrid conference aiming to advance leadership skills, strategies, tools and relationships so educators can be more effective in their practice. This year, their theme, Data Rules Everything Around Me (DREAM), highlights the value and strategies to lead and transform systems with data to improve the academic and life outcomes for Black students. Register [here](. October 22: Kings in the Making - Youth Empowerment Conference | Kingmakers of Oakland Geared towards youth, this conference from the Kingmakers of Oakland will highlight artists who use technology in progressive ways that benefits their community. Youth participants will get to interact with artists and learn more about how to navigate different aspects of technology and use it to empower themselves and those around them. Learn more [here]( and spread the word. October 25: Elevate Showcase: Centering Classroom Experience to Catalyze Engagement & Learning | PERTS Join PERTS to learn how educators and organization leaders are taking an innovative approach to improving student outcomes by centering the voices of students. Get inspired and learn about how to use [Elevate]( a professional learning program, to help improve student experiences at your school or district. Click [here]( to learn more and register. BELE in the News: A Slow-Motion Crisis: Gen Z’s Battle Against Depression, Addiction, Hopelessness | The 74 Turnaround for Children was mentioned in a piece published in The 74 about addressing the mental health crisis among youth in America. The article cites the [Well-Being Index]( a tool developed by Turnaround “to hear directly, quickly and frequently from students about how they are feeling and functioning.” Check out the piece [here](. New to BELE? Start Here [The BELE Framework: A Guide to Building Equitable Learning Environments]( We may have inherited a public education system that nurtures racial and class-based inequities, but it is ours to redesign. The BELE Network created a framework that gives educators, administrators, and policymakers the tools that are needed to create an equitable learning environment. [The BELE Resource Library: Find the Best Resource for Your Needs]( This new, collaborative space is an evolving repository of resources and recommendations from across the BELE Network, curated to help educators, parents, and policymakers create classrooms where every student feels valued and has what they need to thrive. [A Commitment to Put Students First in 2022]( This letter to the BELE community from Gisele C. Shorter, Education Program Officer at the Raikes Foundation, offers a vision for 2022 and outlines BELE's commitment to centering students in all aspects of our work. Have a question? Contact us at info@BELENetwork.org Follow us on social media below! Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [LinkedIn]( [Medium]( [Website]( [Email](mailto:info@BELENetwork.org) This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( We Are RALLY · 6565 Sunset Blvd · Ste 400 · Los Angeles, California 90028 · USA [Mailchimp Email Marketing](