Expand your network with educational leaders and innovators.

Discover educational insights from industry experts.

Interactive workshops for dynamic educational strategies.

Enjoy sessions showcasing community's unique tapestry.

ISABC Virtual Professional Development Conference 2024

Join us for the Pro-D Conference on Friday, February 16th 2024.

At ISABC, we believe in the power of professional development to inspire growth, foster collaboration,
and drive innovation in the field of education. Our Pro-D Conference is a unique opportunity for educators,
administrators, education professionals, and parents to come together and expand their
knowledge base, exchange ideas, and enhance their practices. 

The conference will focus on raising awareness, providing information and support,
and elevating the conversation around:

Mental Health and Wellbeing
Environmental Sustainability
Indigenous Education

Importantly, the day will provide practical support and information for those in the
education field and parents in their engagement with young people – as well as support
for adults in their own mental health and wellbeing,
environmental sustainability, and Indigenous education journeys.

Important Updates

While attendee registration has now closed, we are excited to host 1200 attendees for a day filled with inspiring discussions and practical workshops.

Our focus is on Mental Health and Wellbeing, Environmental Sustainability, and Indigenous Education, aiming to foster educational growth and collaboration.

Important updates:

  • Registrants will receive further information in the coming weeks.
  • Session selections are now final; however, attendees can log in to view their schedules.
  • Click on the ATTENDEES tab for more information or keep scrolling down

Support - if you want to talk

Youth
 Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868, Text: 686868
Kids Help Phone - Indigenous Outreach Materials
The Trevor Project
 (support to LGBTQ young people)

Adults
HealthLinkBC (Mental Health Resources)
Canadian Mental Health Association
Crisis Service Canada (Suicide Prevention) Phone: 1-833-456-4566, Text: 45645
SOGI 123 Parent Resources

Meet OurSpeakers

Keynote Speakers

Dr. John-Tyler Binfet

Dr. Binfet will be opening the conference this year.     
Dr. Binfet is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. His research focus is the investigation of kindness in schools including how children, adolescents, and teachers understand what it means to be kind within a school context. Dr. Binfet’s goal is to create inclusive spaces where students are challenged to think differently and move forward through the world in creative and meaningful ways.

Richard Van Camp

 Richard Van Camp will now close the ISABC Pro-D Conference due to unforeseen circumstances. A recipient of the Order of the Northwest Territories, Richard Van Camp is a proud Tlicho Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, currently residing in Edmonton, AB. Richard is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author of 30 books and graphic novels including The Spirit of Denendeh series & Moccasin Square Gardens. His novel, The Lesser Blessed, was adapted into a movie by First Generation Films. 

Workshop Speakers

Dr. Gabriela Ionita

Heather Mackay

Hayley Jacobs

Jessica Wollen

Kathryn Als

Kelsey Penney

Kevin Frick

Kiranjit Kaur Shoker

Lauren Dade

Lisa Cavey

Levonne Abshire

Meg Kapil

Nancy Shadlock

Nicola Doughty

Omari Newton

Piers Samson

Quinn Casey

Rae Morris

Sierra Turner

Tanya Parker

Cash Ahenakew

Christopher Britt

Ellis Herbert

Dr. Peter Cole

Dr. Shannon Leddy

Tara Skobel

Anthony Grieco

Danielle Delhaes

Daphne Austin

Holly Johnson

Isaias Hernandez

John Hannah

Michèle Andrews

Michael Cox

Sue Fairburn

Sue Switzer

Rebecca Greier Horton

Teddy Kellam

Adrian French

Alexandra Lesk

Bianca Farella

Blue Netherclift

Casey Turnpenny

John McGee

Kristina Thomson

Kyle Prior

Mackenzie Farrell

Norm Kaethler

Noah Clark

Peter Kearney

Peter Holowka

Rebecca Brunswick

Ruth Hughes

Sarah McLean

Adi Aharon

Eagle Chan

Geoff Jones

Marc Crompton and Kelley Fitzpatrick

Shirley Lee

Agenda

Agenda

February 16, 2024 08:15

Opening Keynote - Cultivating Kindness

Dr. John-Tyler Binfet will take the virtual stage to spark conversations and ideas that will resonate throughout the day with this keynote titled The Science Behind Being Kind: Implications for Educators, Students, and School Communities

speaker headshot

John-Tyler Binfet

February 16, 2024 09:30

Session 1

Dive into Session 1, where thought leaders and innovators will take us deeper into the world of education. Select from a selection of workshops categorized into the topics of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Indigenous Education, and Environmental Sustainability. There are also further workshops surrounding AI and Educator Insights. 

February 16, 2024 10:45

Conference Connections

Engage in dedicated time for Conference Connections; an opportunity to mingle, muse, and merge ideas with peers from across ISABC schools.

February 16, 2024 11:45

Session 2

Continue your education with Session 2, offering fresh perspectives and practical takeaways for your professional toolkit. Select from a selection of workshops categorized into the topics of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Indigenous Education, and Environmental Sustainability. There are also further workshops surrounding AI and Educator Insights. 

February 16, 2024 13:00

Closing Keynote -Honouring Kindness Through Storytelling

Join us for an inspiring visit from an internationally renowned storyteller and proud recipient of the Order of the Northwest Territories.

speaker headshot

Richard Van Camp

Sessions

9:30am - 10:30am

Developing Curriculum to Explore Colonial Praxis and Legacies

Adrian French

Session Information: This workshop explores the challenge of developing curriculum exploring the legacy of colonial praxis. It will include:

Session outcomes:

  • Ideating new curricular pathways with students.
  • Exploring how visual arts can help students express complex historical contexts.
  • The challenge of letting go of our traditional teaching patterns.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: An inquisitive mindset.

11:45am - 12:45pm

Exploring Indigenous Teachings with Minecraft

Ellis Herbert

Session Information: Ellis Herbert's workshop focuses on utilizing Minecraft to explore indigenous teachings. This widely-enjoyed digital platform engages students in the rich traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous cultures and histories. It fosters understanding through interactive storytelling and gameplay.

Session outcomes:

  • Teachers, whether new or familiar with Minecraft, will gain an appreciation of how the platform can immerse students in and adapt to indigenous teachings.
  • Teachers will learn strategies to maximize student inquiry within this unique digital environment.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing.

11:45am - 12:45pm

Decolonizing Mental Health

Cash Ahenakew

Session Information: This session outlines an approach for decolonizing mental health. First, we examine settler colonial institutions and intentions; then, we shift our focus to Indigenous understandings and practices. Finally, we present these broader understandings and practices within contemporary experiences. Please be advised that this session covers some sensitive areas and might be triggering for some. Please take care of your own well-being.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Learn with Your Head, Lead from the Heart & Speak Your Truth: Empowering Reconcili ACTION in Schools

Christopher Britt

Session Information: Building caregivers capacity to teach about residential school history and the experience of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Peoples.

Session outcomes:

  • Learn more about residential school history
  • Be introduced to Downie Wenjack Resources for delivering content and lesson plans
  • Gain insight on the goals and purpose of the Downie Wenjack Fund

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

Cross Cultural Cross Species Environmental Justice and Storytelling

Dr. Peter Cole

Session Information: Exploring the conversational and storytelling voice, this workshop highlights its role as a vital link between words, referents, learning, and activism. Instead of focusing on prescribed learning outcomes, we delve into comprehensive interdisciplinary relationality, fostering a more dynamic and connected learning experience.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Pencil notebook a snack a beverage

11:45am - 12:45pm

Key Principles and Pedagogies for Indigenous Education

Dr. Shannon Leddy

Session Information: This session will provide an overview of the key principles and pedagogies that can support non-Indigenous teachers working with Indigenous students and content.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Your Reconciliation Journey

Tara Skobel

Session Information: The “Your Reconciliation Journey” workshop is for non-Indigenous people who want to learn and build their understanding of Reconciliation while engaging in meaningful dialogue and reflection on the historical injustices and harms inflicted upon Indigenous communities. Participants will explore the complexities of Truth and Reconciliation and will be provided with the opportunity to consider their role in promoting healing and Reconciliation as they start to develop their Reconciliation journey action plan. Your Reconciliation Journey workshop includes a brief introduction to the following topics:
1. Unpacking white privilege
2. Colonization impacts on Indigenous people (the Truth)
3. Land and treaty rights
4. Decolonization (Indigenous healing)
5. Reconciling with Indigenous people
6. Your Reconciliation Journey action plan

Audience: Teachers AND Parents

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Device to access Instagram and Tiktok - please create an account before arriving if needed
Access to wifi or data

Session 1

9:30am - 10:30am

Learn with Your Head, Lead from the Heart & Speak Your Truth: Empowering Reconcili ACTION in Schools

Christopher Britt

Session Information: Building caregivers capacity to teach about residential school history and the experience of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Peoples.

Session outcomes:

  • Learn more about residential school history
  • Be introduced to Downie Wenjack Resources for delivering content and lesson plans
  • Gain insight on the goals and purpose of the Downie Wenjack Fund

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

Cross Cultural Cross Species Environmental Justice and Storytelling

Dr. Peter Cole

Session Information: Exploring the conversational and storytelling voice, this workshop highlights its role as a vital link between words, referents, learning, and activism. Instead of focusing on prescribed learning outcomes, we delve into comprehensive interdisciplinary relationality, fostering a more dynamic and connected learning experience.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Pencil notebook a snack a beverage

9:30am - 10:30am

Developing Curriculum to Explore Colonial Praxis and Legacies

Adrian French

Session Information: The challenge developing curriculum exploring the legacy of colonial praxis

Session outcomes:

  • Ideating new curricular pathways with students.
  • Exploring how visual arts can help students express complex historical contexts.
  • The challenge of letting go of our traditional teaching patterns.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: An inquisitive mindset.

Session 2

11:45am - 12:45pm

Key Principles and Pedagogies for Indigenous Education

Dr. Shannon Leddy

Session Information: This session will provide an overview of the key principles and pedagogies that can support non-Indigenous teachers working with Indigenous students and content.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Exploring Indigenous Teachings with Minecraft

Ellis Herbert

Session Information: Utilizing Minecraft for the exploration of indigenous teachings and harnessing this widely-enjoyed digital platform to engage students in the rich traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous cultures and histories, fostering their understanding through the medium of interactive storytelling and gameplay.

Session outcomes:

  • Teachers new and familiar to Minecraft will gain an appreciation of how Minecraft can immerse and adapt to indigenous teachings.
  • Teachers will gain an understanding of some strategies for maximizing student enquiry.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing.

11:45am - 12:45pm

Your Reconciliation Journey

Tara Skobel

Session Information: The “Your Reconciliation Journey” workshop is for non-Indigenous people who want to learn and build their understanding of Reconciliation while engaging in meaningful dialogue and reflection on the historical injustices and harms inflicted upon Indigenous communities. Participants will explore the complexities of Truth and Reconciliation and will be provided with the opportunity to consider their role in promoting healing and Reconciliation as they start to develop their Reconciliation journey action plan. Your Reconciliation Journey workshop includes a brief introduction to the following topics:
1. Unpacking white privilege
2. Colonization impacts on Indigenous people (the Truth)
3. Land and treaty rights
4. Decolonization (Indigenous healing)
5. Reconciling with Indigenous people
6. Your Reconciliation Journey action plan

Audience: Teachers AND Parents

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Device to access Instagram and Tiktok - please create an account before arriving if needed
Access to wifi or data

11:45am - 12:45pm

Decolonizing Mental Health

Cash Ahenakew

Session Information: This session outlines an approach for decolonizing mental health. First, we examine settler colonial institutions and intentions; then, we shift our focus to Indigenous understandings and practices. Finally, we present these broader understandings and practices within contemporary experiences. Please be advised that this session covers some sensitive areas and might be triggering for some. Please take care of your own well-being.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

AI Tools for Educators

Shirley Lee

Session Information: We will explore the exciting world of Generative AI and AI tools and discover their endless possibilities for enhancing education. We will also address some of the benefits and risks of using generative AI like ChatGPT. I will also demonstrate a few AI tools that I have been using in teaching Socials 10.

Session outcomes:

  • What is AI and Generative AI?
  • What are the benefits and risks of ChatGpt?
  • What are some useful AI tools for educators?

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator"]

Please bring: Laptop

11:45am - 12:45pm

AI EmpowerED: Learning in the Digital Classroom

Marc Crompton and Kelley Fitzpatrick

Session Information: AI EmpowerED: Learning in the Digital Classroom will be geared toward sharing how we utilize generative AI to enhance learning.

Session outcomes:

  • We will identify opportunities for learning with generative AI tools
  • We will share our experience from a junior and senior school perspective
  • We will build a network of people who are using generative AI and share that with the session attendees so everyone leaves with a connection point of who to follow up with if they want to engage in a deeper conversation.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop! Make sure you have a ChatGPT account set up already.

11:45am - 12:45pm

Teaching and Learning with AI Tools

Adi Aharon

Session Information: We'll identify what large language models are and how they work focusing on the different ways ChatGPT can be used as an educational tool, for you and your students.

Session outcomes:

  • Building a balanced approach to AI use and outcomes
  • Developing prompts for particular outcomes
  • Generate ideas of how to use AI

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: An account for ChatGPT or Bing.

9:30am - 10:30am

Redefining Education in the Generative AI Era

Eagle Chan

Session Information: Shifting the Teacher-Student Dynamic, Fostering Critical Thinking, and Addressing Ethical Considerations

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator","All Educators","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Laptop and Google account

11:45am - 12:45pm

AI in Schools: Identifying the Benefits and Risks

Geoff Jones

Session Information: How can we safely use Artificial Intelligence (AI) within a school environment?

- Risk and Benefits
- Legal Ramifications
- Ways to migrate the risks

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: nothing

Session 1

9:30am - 10:30am

AI Tools for Educators

Shirley Lee

Session Information: We will explore the exciting world of Generative AI and AI tools and discover their endless possibilities for enhancing education. We will also address some of the benefits and risks of using generative AI like ChatGPT. I will also demonstrate a few AI tools that I have been using in teaching Socials 10.

Session outcomes:

  • What is AI and Generative AI?
  • What are the benefits and risks of ChatGpt?
  • What are some useful AI tools for educators?

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator"]

Please bring: Laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

Redefining Education in the Generative AI Era

Eagle Chan

Session Information: Shifting the Teacher-Student Dynamic, Fostering Critical Thinking, and Addressing Ethical Considerations

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator","All Educators","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Laptop and Google account

Session 2

11:45am - 12:45pm

AI in Schools: Identifying the Benefits and Risks

Geoff Jones

Session Information: How can we safely use Artificial Intelligence (AI) within a school environment?

- Risk and Benefits
- Legal Ramifications
- Ways to migrate the risks

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

AI EmpowerED: Learning in the Digital Classroom

Marc Crompton and Kelley Fitzpatrick

Session Information: AI EmpowerED: Learning in the Digital Classroom will be geared toward sharing how we utilize generative AI to enhance learning.

Session outcomes:

  • We will identify opportunities for learning with generative AI tools
  • We will share our experience from a junior and senior school perspective
  • We will build a network of people who are using generative AI and share that with the session attendees so everyone leaves with a connection point of who to follow up with if they want to engage in a deeper conversation.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop! Make sure you have a ChatGPT account set up already.

11:45am - 12:45pm

Teaching and Learning with AI Tools

Adi Aharon

Session Information: We'll identify what large language models are and how they work focusing on the different ways ChatGPT can be used as an educational tool, for you and your students.

Session outcomes:

  • Building a balanced approach to AI use and outcomes
  • Developing prompts for particular outcomes
  • Generate ideas of how to use AI

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: An account for ChatGPT or Bing.

9:30am - 10:30am

Crafting BC's Food and Farming Story

Pat tonn, Executive Director

Session Information: Connect your students to where their food is grown, who grows it, and how they can be inspired to grow their own

- learn about hands on growing programs
- discover our resources, activities and lesson plans
- share the story of BC food and farming

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring:
- a small fruit or vegetable snack ( cherry tomato, strawberry, etc.)

- an apple and knife
- paper and pencil
9:30am - 10:30am

Navigating the Emotional Impact of Climate Change with Students

Teddy Kellam

Session Information: Teachers are tasked with teaching the science of climate change, but what about the emotional impact?

Session outcomes:

  • Learn to incorporate neuroscience-supported resilience practices into your classroom to support student mental health.
  • Access conversation scripts, conversation starters, journaling prompts, expressive arts projects, opportunities for activism, and more.
  • Develop confidence and competence in meeting these uncertain times with the students in your care.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Growing a Learning Landscape at your school.

John Hannah

Session Information: How might your school grounds support biodiversity, mitigate climate change impacts and transform student relationships with the community?
- what, why, who and how
- transformative SEL and PBL

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Age-group: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared story/personal experience, All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Climate Change Pedagogies

Daphne Austin

Session Information:
We aim to educate teachers and provide the tools and resources to facilitate Ocean and Climate literacy within their classrooms.

Session outcomes:

  • Become familiar with Ocean Wise's Education Kit resources (exploring resources and curricular tie ins).
  • Increase awareness on the purpose of current climate change pedagogies and how to incorporate them into teachings.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop, keyboard, phone

9:30am - 10:30am

Understanding What Makes a Building "WELL"

Rebecca Greier Horton

Session Information: WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.

Session outcomes:

  • Get to know the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Standard
  • Understand the IWBI WELL Framework for Human Health
  • Conclusion: The Value of WELL Buildings
  • -Q+A

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Nature Connectedness as a path to Hope-Filled Whole-School Climate Action

Michèle Andrews

Danielle Delhaes

Session Information: We will share examples of how connecting to nature - for all ages in a school community - can lead to greater connectedness with each other, all the rest of nature, and be a path to greater action on the climate and biodiversity crises. Participants will:

- have a greater understanding of regeneration as the goal, and the role that we must play in building a better future - inspiration from many schools on ways to create learning spaces and community engagement"

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Exploring Biodiversity: iNaturalist, Citizen Science, and Your Classroom

Norm Kaethler

Session Information: Participants will learn how to: use iNaturalist to identify species from photos; explore biome communities around the world; set up a project to catalogue species on your campus

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: iNaturalist account, 1 or 2 original digital photos of local flora or fauna

11:45am - 12:45pm

Let's go outside: Apparel Design for a Changing Climate

Sue Fairburn

Session Information: Fast Fashion and Fast consumption go beyond Fashion and the plastic-based materials many of us wear, use, and have in our homes. This session will address local issues for designers, material engineers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to meet the changing climate challenges hands-on.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

The Climate Emotions Scale: Earth & Life

Isaias Hernandez

Session Information:
1.) Exploring dynamics of life through earth-based emotions
2.) how to talk about these emotions in praxis
3.) how to apply practices around emotions to actions and evidence-based hope.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Parents"]

Please bring: Notebook

11:45am - 12:45pm

Resilience for Chaotic Times: Tools to Build Adult Inner Resources

Teddy Kellam

Session outcomes:

  • Learn a variety of neuroscience-supported resilience tools for grappling with uncertainty
  • Practice nervous system regulation techniques in order to show up in a calm state for the kids in your life
  • Develop your own personal toolkit to use when you are triggered

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: A couple of colourful sticky notes to put on your refrigerator to help you remember the tools you like

Session 1

9:30am - 10:30am

Understanding What Makes a Building "WELL"

Rebecca Greier Horton

Session Information: WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.

Session outcomes:

  • Get to know the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Standard
  • Understand the IWBI WELL Framework for Human Health
  • Conclusion: The Value of WELL Buildings
  • -Q+A

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Crafting BC's Food and Farming Story

Pat tonn, Executive Director

Session Information: Connect your students to where their food is grown, who grows it, and how they can be inspired to grow their own

- learn about hands on growing programs
- discover our resources, activities and lesson plans
- share the story of BC food and farming

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring:
- a small fruit or vegetable snack ( cherry tomato, strawberry, etc.)

- an apple and knife
- paper and pencil
9:30am - 10:30am

Nature Connectedness as a path to Hope-Filled Whole-School Climate Action

Michèle Andrews

Danielle Delhaes

Session Information: We will share examples of how connecting to nature - for all ages in a school community - can lead to greater connectedness with each other, all the rest of nature, and be a path to greater action on the climate and biodiversity crises. Participants will:

- have a greater understanding of regeneration as the goal, and the role that we must play in building a better future - inspiration from many schools on ways to create learning spaces and community engagement"

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Exploring Biodiversity: iNaturalist, Citizen Science, and Your Classroom

Norm Kaethler

Session Information: Participants will learn how to: use iNaturalist to identify species from photos; explore biome communities around the world; set up a project to catalogue species on your campus

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: iNaturalist account, 1 or 2 original digital photos of local flora or fauna

9:30am - 10:30am

Navigating the Emotional Impact of Climate Change with Students

Teddy Kellam

Session Information: Teachers are tasked with teaching the science of climate change, but what about the emotional impact?

Session outcomes:

  • Learn to incorporate neuroscience-supported resilience practices into your classroom to support student mental health.
  • Access conversation scripts, conversation starters, journaling prompts, expressive arts projects, opportunities for activism, and more.
  • Develop confidence and competence in meeting these uncertain times with the students in your care.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

Session 2

11:45am - 12:45pm

Growing a Learning Landscape at your school.

John Hannah

Session Information: How might your school grounds support biodiversity, mitigate climate change impacts and transform student relationships with the community?
- what, why, who and how
- transformative SEL and PBL

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Age-group: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared story/personal experience, All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Let's go outside: Apparel Design for a Changing Climate

Sue Fairburn

Session Information: Fast Fashion and Fast consumption go beyond Fashion and the plastic-based materials many of us wear, use, and have in our homes. This session will address local issues for designers, material engineers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to meet the changing climate challenges hands-on.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

The Climate Emotions Scale: Earth & Life

Isaias Hernandez

Session Information:
1.) Exploring dynamics of life through earth-based emotions
2.) how to talk about these emotions in praxis
3.) how to apply practices around emotions to actions and evidence-based hope.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Parents"]

Please bring: Notebook

11:45am - 12:45pm

Climate Change Pedagogies

Daphne Austin

Michael Cox

Session Information:
We aim to educate teachers and provide the tools and resources to facilitate Ocean and Climate literacy within their classrooms.

Session outcomes:

  • Become familiar with Ocean Wise's Education Kit resources (exploring resources and curricular tie ins).
  • Increase awareness on the purpose of current climate change pedagogies and how to incorporate them into teachings.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop, keyboard, phone

11:45am - 12:45pm

Resilience for Chaotic Times: Tools to Build Adult Inner Resources

Teddy Kellam

Session outcomes:

  • Learn a variety of neuroscience-supported resilience tools for grappling with uncertainty
  • Practice nervous system regulation techniques in order to show up in a calm state for the kids in your life
  • Develop your own personal toolkit to use when you are triggered

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: A couple of colourful sticky notes to put on your refrigerator to help you remember the tools you like

9:30am - 10:30am

Adventures in Partnered Reading: Action Research in light of ChatGPT and Proficiency Scales

Alexandra Lesk

Session Information: I will share the surprising success (and the odd pitfall) of an experiment in how to foster a love of reading through partnered novel choices, meaningful homework accountability and developing a portfolio of curriculum-linked evidence of proficiency for learning standards.
Participants will leave with a/n:
- outline of how to implement this approach at any point in the year
- shared documentation method for student ownership and responsibility of learning and accountability
- an empowering opportunity to support student choice and voice

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: All Educators

Please bring: Laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

Self-Hatred: The True Cause of Romeo's Suicide?

John McGee

Session Information: John will question the common critical assumption that Romeo kills himself for love, pointing out that there are many instances of foreshadowing tying Romeo's self-murder at the end to his love-melancholy at the beginning.

Session outcomes:

  • Insight into Shakespeare’s ideas on anti-social and self-destructive behavior
  • Introduction to the Renaissance treatise on depression and “best book ever written,” Robert Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)
  • Ideas for assignments for a more skeptical approach to Romeo & Juliet

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Coaching in the Classroom - How to Ask Effective Questions

Kristina Thomson

This session will explore the coaching tool, Effective Questions, to increase student awareness and agency in the classroom. It is designed to strengthen and refine your skills, enhancing your teaching practice.

Session outcomes:

  • Participants will understand what coaching is and is not
  • Participants will learn how to ask Effective Questions to increase student awareness and agency
  • Participants will practice asking Effective Questions and being more coach-like in conversations with students

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Curiosity and an open mind. No other materials are needed, participants will be given the resources after the session.

9:30am - 10:30am

Empowering Educators: Professional Development and Growth Using 360-Degree Reviews

Mackenzie Farrell

Session Information: Discover the advantages of 360-degree reviews for educators and leaders, and learn how these practices enhance self-awareness, foster collaboration, provide insights into targeted professional development, and promote growth-driven, feedback-rich educational communities

Session outcomes:

  • An understanding of the benefits of embracing 360-degree reviews and how these transform leadership capabilities and educational communities
  • An understanding of how 360-reviews benefit students
  • Tips and tools for implementing 360-degree feedback in an educational community in the short- and long-term.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Coaching Conversation Cafe: Educators Seeking Better Balance

Sarah McLean

Session Information: This session uses the Conversation Cafe dialogue framework to host a structured roundtable discussion exploring balance for educators. Together we will surface the challenges we experience as we navigate the multiple roles we all hold and seek support in one another as we identify solutions.

Session outcomes:

  • identify why educators in independent schools struggle to find balance in their professional and personal lives.
  • gain support from a community of other educators experiencing similar challenges.
  • explore opportunities to create more balance and identify an action step you can take.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop, journal and pen.

11:45am - 12:45pm

The World's Best Digital Library (Archive.org)

John McGee

Session Information: Introduction to a free online library whose motto is “universal access to all knowledge”


Session outcomes:

  • An incredible resource for teachers and students alike, with almost all books ever written, in every language, available to be checked out in 1hr increments
  • A gold-mine for primary sources, including searchable newspaper and magazine content

  • Productivity apps to expedite digital research and note-taking

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop

11:45am - 12:45pm

A Beginner's Guide to using a Coaching Approach to lead your conversations with care

Sarah McLean

Session Information: This session introduces educators to coaching tools as a leadership approach, helping them to improve the quality of their conversations with team members, colleagues and students.

Session outcomes:

  • understand what a coach approach is and how it can foster care and trust in your teams.
  • practice using the coach approach method when leading a conversation.
  • develop ideas to take this approach back to your team, classroom or wider school.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Bring a notepad and pen; bring an example of a challenge you are currently experiencing e.g. in the classroom, on your team, with your own work-life balance.

9:30am - 10:30am

Student Choice - Blended Learning in the Mathematics Classroom

Kyle Prior

Peter Kearney

Noah Clark

Session Information:
Blended learning is an educational model which provides students the choice to select a supported self-study learning model instead of attending a regular in-person class. In this session we will:
- Explore different blended learning models - from action research projects.

Session outcomes:

  • Discuss how a blended learning approach can help support a student's mental health and well being through personalization of learning.
  • Explore the technology used - pros and cons

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator","Senior School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Inquiry and Blended Learning Programs With BC Based "Live It Earth"

Blue Netherclift

Session Information: Dive into a world of engaging education with our Live It Earth library: 100% Canadian, fully bilingual, enriched with Indigenous perspectives, and seamlessly connected to your curriculum – it's blended learning that empowers both students and teachers!

Session outcomes:

  • Seamlessly navigate the platform
  • Ignite student enthusiasm with compelling K-8 programs
  • Customize programs that resonate across 8 subject areas
  • Access classroom-ready activities with video prompts
  • Harness the power of the (BC) curriculum search engine
  • Implement the inquiry learning-based guide
  • Leverage curriculum assessment tools
  • Engage in live Q&A sessions with a panel of experts

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Elementary School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Amplifying Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability through IT Practices

Peter Holowka

Session Information: This session is about how school practices with technology can be both inclusive and environmentally sustainable --and often save schools money while simultaneously achieving these ends.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

SOGI In Schools

Rebecca Brunswick

Session Information:
-Learn about the role of SOGI Education In Schools
-Cover basic vocabulary
-Look at ways to actively support students

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Balancing Wellbeing and High-Performance as a Student Athlete

Bianca Farella

Session Information: Explore strategies and insights to empower student-athletes to maintain a balance between their physical and mental wellbeing while excelling in their high-performance pursuits.

Session outcomes:

  • An introduction to a unique coaching methodology to help students maintain high-performance, enhance their resilience, and focus on their wellbeing.
  • Tools and strategies to manage student stress, prioritize self-care, and maintain physical and mental health while balancing academic and athletic commitments.
  • A strengthened awareness of the interconnectedness between student wellbeing and athletic performance and how to work towards achieving a sustainable balance in all aspects of their lives.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Senior School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

Session 1

9:30am - 10:30am

Student Choice - Blended Learning in the Mathematics Classroom

Kyle Prior

Peter Kearney

Noah Clark

Session Information:
Blended learning is an educational model which provides students the choice to select a supported self-study learning model instead of attending a regular in-person class. In this session we will:
- Explore different blended learning models - from action research projects.

Session outcomes:

  • Discuss how a blended learning approach can help support a student's mental health and well being through personalization of learning.
  • Explore the technology used - pros and cons

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Senior School Educator","Senior School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Adventures in Partnered Reading: Action Research in light of ChatGPT and Proficiency Scales

Alexandra Lesk

Session Information: I will share the surprising success (and the odd pitfall) of an experiment in how to foster a love of reading through partnered novel choices, meaningful homework accountability and developing a portfolio of curriculum-linked evidence of proficiency for learning standards.
Participants will leave with a/n:
- outline of how to implement this approach at any point in the year
- shared documentation method for student ownership and responsibility of learning and accountability
- an empowering opportunity to support student choice and voice

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: All Educators

Please bring: Laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

Inquiry and Blended Learning Programs With BC Based "Live It Earth"

Blue Netherclift

Session Information: Dive into a world of engaging education with our Live It Earth library: 100% Canadian, fully bilingual, enriched with Indigenous perspectives, and seamlessly connected to your curriculum – it's blended learning that empowers both students and teachers!

Session outcomes:

  • Seamlessly navigate the platform
  • Ignite student enthusiasm with compelling K-8 programs
  • Customize programs that resonate across 8 subject areas
  • Access classroom-ready activities with video prompts
  • Harness the power of the (BC) curriculum search engine
  • Implement the inquiry learning-based guide
  • Leverage curriculum assessment tools
  • Engage in live Q&A sessions with a panel of experts

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Elementary School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Coaching Conversation Cafe: Educators Seeking Better Balance

Sarah McLean

Session Information: This session uses the Conversation Cafe dialogue framework to host a structured roundtable discussion exploring balance for educators. Together we will surface the challenges we experience as we navigate the multiple roles we all hold and seek support in one another as we identify solutions.

Session outcomes:

  • identify why educators in independent schools struggle to find balance in their professional and personal lives.
  • gain support from a community of other educators experiencing similar challenges.
  • explore opportunities to create more balance and identify an action step you can take.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop, journal and pen.

9:30am - 10:30am

Empowering Educators: Professional Development and Growth Using 360-Degree Reviews

Mackenzie Farrell

Session Information: Discover the advantages of 360-degree reviews for educators and leaders, and learn how these practices enhance self-awareness, foster collaboration, provide insights into targeted professional development, and promote growth-driven, feedback-rich educational communities

Session outcomes:

  • An understanding of the benefits of embracing 360-degree reviews and how these transform leadership capabilities and educational communities
  • An understanding of how 360-reviews benefit students
  • Tips and tools for implementing 360-degree feedback in an educational community in the short- and long-term.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Self-Hatred: The True Cause of Romeo's Suicide?

John McGee

Session Information: John will question the common critical assumption that Romeo kills himself for love, pointing out that there are many instances of foreshadowing tying Romeo's self-murder at the end to his love-melancholy at the beginning.

Session outcomes:

  • Insight into Shakespeare’s ideas on anti-social and self-destructive behavior
  • Introduction to the Renaissance treatise on depression and “best book ever written,” Robert Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)
  • Ideas for assignments for a more skeptical approach to Romeo & Juliet

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Coaching in the Classroom - How to Ask Effective Questions

Kristina Thomson

This session will explore the coaching tool, Effective Questions, to increase student awareness and agency in the classroom. It is designed to strengthen and refine your skills, enhancing your teaching practice.

Session outcomes:

  • Participants will understand what coaching is and is not
  • Participants will learn how to ask Effective Questions to increase student awareness and agency
  • Participants will practice asking Effective Questions and being more coach-like in conversations with students

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Curiosity and an open mind. No other materials are needed, participants will be given the resources after the session.

Session 2

11:45am - 12:45pm

Amplifying Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability through IT Practices

Peter Holowka

Session Information: This session is about how school practices with technology can be both inclusive and environmentally sustainable --and often save schools money while simultaneously achieving these ends.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

SOGI In Schools

Rebecca Brunswick

Session Information:
-Learn about the role of SOGI Education In Schools
-Cover basic vocabulary
-Look at ways to actively support students

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Balancing Wellbeing and High-Performance as a Student Athlete

Bianca Farella

Session Information: Explore strategies and insights to empower student-athletes to maintain a balance between their physical and mental wellbeing while excelling in their high-performance pursuits.

Session outcomes:

  • An introduction to a unique coaching methodology to help students maintain high-performance, enhance their resilience, and focus on their wellbeing.
  • Tools and strategies to manage student stress, prioritize self-care, and maintain physical and mental health while balancing academic and athletic commitments.
  • A strengthened awareness of the interconnectedness between student wellbeing and athletic performance and how to work towards achieving a sustainable balance in all aspects of their lives.

    Audience: Teachers AND parents together

    Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

    Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Senior School Parent"]

    Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

A Beginner's Guide to using a Coaching Approach to lead your conversations with care

Sarah McLean

Session Information: This session introduces educators to coaching tools as a leadership approach, helping them to improve the quality of their conversations with team members, colleagues and students.

Session outcomes:

  • understand what a coach approach is and how it can foster care and trust in your teams.
  • practice using the coach approach method when leading a conversation.
  • develop ideas to take this approach back to your team, classroom or wider school.

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Bring a notepad and pen; bring an example of a challenge you are currently experiencing e.g. in the classroom, on your team, with your own work-life balance.

11:45am - 12:45pm

The World's Best Digital Library (Archive.org)

John McGee

Session Information: Introduction to a free online library whose motto is “universal access to all knowledge”


Session outcomes:

  • An incredible resource for teachers and students alike, with almost all books ever written, in every language, available to be checked out in 1hr increments
  • A gold-mine for primary sources, including searchable newspaper and magazine content

  • Productivity apps to expedite digital research and note-taking

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

Destigmatizing "Problem Behaviours" in Students with Complex Trauma: Applying Curiosity, Compassion and Connection to Facilitate Student Resilience and Success

Kathryn Als

Session Information: This session explores the depths of child & youth complex trauma, some of the driving factors behind student behaviour in the classroom and how teachers can utilize a trauma-savvy approach to support these students.

Session outcomes:

  • Understand the "why" behind student behaviour through the lens of trauma and trauma-informed care
  • Explore the depths of Adverse Childhood Experiences (what they are, risk factors, preventative factors and how they present in the classroom)
  • Identify the benefits of applying curiosity, compassion and connection to form meaningful relationships with students

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Recognizing and Addressing Compassion Fatigue among Educators

Rae Morris

Session Information: This session will share information for educators on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in teaching as potential outcomes of supporting student mental health.

Session outcomes:

  • Define compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction as relates to educators of children and youth
  • Identify risks and protective factors associated with compassion fatigue among those working in education
  • Reflect on strategies for reinforcing individual and collective self-care and compassion satisfaction

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Safe Spaces are Brave Spaces – Creating Classrooms that Foster Belonging

Hayley Jacobs

Session Information: In this session, I will distill and share from my lived experiences, education, and training what I believe creates classrooms centered in belonging.
• Why I and why we should be taking about belonging in the classroom
• How to foster classroom belonging
• A Case Study - Belonging in practice

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Notepad or laptop

9:30am - 10:30am

An Introduction to PreVenture: An Effective Evidenced-Based Mental Health (e.g. anxiety, worry, and impulsivity) Support and Substance Use Prevention Program

Lauren Dade

Session Information: This session will highlight factors that can impact mental health and wellbeing, and give an overview of the evidence-based PreVenture program, which effectively reduces concerning ways of coping and leads to better mental health outcomes.

Audience: Teachers and parents

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","Senior School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Supporting Neurodiversity through an Emotional Regulation Approach

Kelsey Penney

Session Information: Compliance is not the goal. This session will provide educators with the tools and strategies they need to shift from behaviour management to emotional regulation.
• Educators will explore a shift in perspective in how they approach challenging behaviours
• Educators will learn about how changes to the environment, and their own interactions can impact and support neurodiverse studetnts

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Creating Belonging by Leading with Care

Kevin Frick

Session Information: In this session, we will explore how things that bring joy and core values can lead to a personal mission statement that can guide interaction to create belonging with diverse populations in the classroom and beyond. The goals include (1) exploring methods of developing a joy and valued-based personal mission statement and (2) identifying key values that help to create belonging for students being taught or teams being worked with.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Supporting Marginalized Students Mental Health Through Voice

Kiranjit Kaur Shoker

Session Information: Using an asset based pedagogical approach, identifying practices that empower voice, acknowledge the structures that inhibit student wellness, and build agency in students.

Session outcomes:

  • Explore the relationship between mental health and marginalized students
  • Identifying how asset-based pedagogical approaches uplift our students especially those who are historically oppressed for their differences

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Flourishing at School: Stress, Mental Health, and Learning

Meg Kapil

Session Information: Flourishing at school is supported by how the puzzle pieces of stress regulation, mental health, and learning fit together, this session will address:
• The role of stress and stress regulation in mental health, learning, and flourishing at school
• How to grow mental health and wellbeing for students and how this impacts learning
• How to manage both school related stress and stressors together for flourishing at school

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Brains and Screens: Parenting and Teaching through the Attention Economy

Adi Aharon

Session Information: How do harmful aspects of technology impact the growing brain, and what are some solutions and ideas for minimizing these impacts?
- Learn about the attention economy
- Explore current research on how brains are impacted by screens
- Outline possible solutions

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

The Privilege of Being Trans

Quinn Casey

Session Information: The Privilege of Being Trans is about flipping the script so that cisgender people understand that this fight for transgender people's safety is actually for them too-- and, rather, for all of us-- not just transgender people.

Session outcomes:

  • To guide people on how to support the minds and futures of trans people inside and outside of schools
  • To raise awareness and provide academic information about why trans people's stories and the dialogues we co-construct on this topic are necessary for the wellbeing of not just trans people but cis people as well
  • To humanize and localize transphobic oppression through storytelling

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing.

9:30am - 10:30am

Dance & Mental Health

Tanya Parker

Session Information: In this interACTIVE workshop, you’ll gain a better understanding of mental health and the factors that affect it by experiencing practical dances that use purposefully designed movements to promote and foster positive mental health, addressing the cognitive, social, physical and emotional domains of wellbeing.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","Elementary School Parent"]

Please bring: Running Shoes, Athletic attire, Water bottle

9:30am - 10:30am

Supporting Children and Teens Manage Stress and Anxiety

Dr. Gabriela Ionita

Session Information: Providing practical tools to help you support children and teens in managing stress and anxiety.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes: DEI roleplaying experience

Nancy Shadlock

Session Information: This unique experience brings people together, building empathy and understanding. Through the powerful equalizer of play, participants are invited to try on a different identity/characteristic that might be much more diverse than their own. The positive effects of this approach will be felt in your school long after the event has ended.

Session outcomes:

  • Learning a greater sense of empathy to support students, staff and parents with, build resilience and create higher retention rates.
  • Creating safe space for people of other races, sexualities and genders to share who they truly are.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Joining from a laptop rather than a phone is preferred. Engagement is required to participate in this session.

9:30am - 10:30am

Unpacking Social Media

Omari Newton

Session Information: "Unpacking Social Media” is both a Digital Citizenship & Anti-(Cyber)Bullying presentation. OWTA is proud to present “Unpacking Social Media”, a virtual presentation that examines the origins and influence that Social Media has on young people today. Using OWTA’s trademark edutainment style that combines video, slam poetry, and audience participation & interaction, the presentation explores the power and pitfalls associated with navigating popular social media platforms. Participants will discover the responsibility of being a digital citizen.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Build Capacity to Teach Sexuality Education and Healthy Relationships Skills to Youth

Jessica Wollen

Session Information: Learn how to teach comprehensive health education to teenagers using the Circuit. The Circuit is an inclusive and comprehensive Sexual Health Education Program for students aged 14-18 years old.

Session outcomes:

  • Learn how the Circuit works
  • Play some healthy relationship games from the Circuit toolkit
  • Identify how healthy relationship skills could impact your school community

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion Senior School Educator

Age-group: All Educators, Senior School Parent, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Your Nervous System, Toxic Positivity, and Finding Your Authentic Self

Nicola Doughty

Session Information: Expectations for self-care have put undue pressure on individuals to prove their commitment to well-being at the expense of true, gentle self-awareness and acceptance. Participants will come away with a solid understanding of their own nervous system and how to approach self-care from the inside out!

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Health and Wellness of Neuro-Diverse students: what do they experience and what supports are effective?

Piers Samson

Session Information: The common aspects of health and wellness of those with a neuro-diverse background (FASD, ASD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities) will be explored along with a variety of supports that can help prevent and/or support healing.

Session outcomes:

  • Examination of the incidence and most common issues in mental health and wellness of a variety of kinds of students with learning disabilities.
  • Commonalities in home life for the neuro-diverse students.
  • What kinds of experiences can harm outcomes for those with neuro-diversity?
  • What kinds of life experiences can protect outcomes for those with neuro-diversity?
  • What interventions can help change outcomes for those with neuro-diversity?
  • Personal experiences and stories from work will be used to help with a practical understanding of the theoretical knowledge described.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

All of Me: Whole-Person Approach to Supporting ADHD Students

Meg Kapil

Session Information: ADHD encompasses the whole person and includes several important components that need to be managed together, this session outlines a neurodiversity affirming approach to supporting mental health and success for the whole person with ADHD including:
• Strategies for stress and emotion regulation for ADHD minds
• Support for ADHDers regarding healthy relationships and strong self-worth
• Strategies and practices for facilitating adaptive learning practices and executive function for ADHD minds

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Parenting & the Pressure to be Perfect

Lisa Cavey

Session Information: We’ll be diving into a topic that resonates with many of us—navigating the societal pressures for parental perfection. In our fast-paced world, we often find ourselves grappling with unrealistic standards imposed by society. This includes how we perceive ourselves as parents and the expectations we place upon our parenting journey. This presentation will focus on empowering parents with insights and strategies to navigate societal pressures for perfection in today's world.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Resilience at Work: Addressing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Levonne Abshire

Session Information: Resilience has become a buzzword as organizations seek ways to support their staff to stay productive in turbulent, complex, and pressurized workplaces.
Resilience assists employees and teams to:
» Adapt to frequent change and uncertainty
» Stay productive, despite increasing demands to deliver more with less
» Manage expectations that may exceed delivery capabilities
» Maintain physical and emotional wellbeing despite job pressures.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Paper and pen or laptop to take notes if desired

11:45am - 12:45pm

Incorporating Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices to Support Student Mental Health and Wellness

Rae Morris

Session Information: This session will share information for educators about the neurodiversity-affirming practices and ways to incorporate neurodiversity into student mental health and wellness initiatives.

Session outcomes:

  • Define neurodiversity and other relevant terminology
  • Reflect on common experiences of neurodivergent students in the school and classroom
  • Reflect on strategies for incorporating neurodiversity into mental health and wellness initiatives, for the benefit of all students

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Addressing Anxiety in Children and Teens by Changing our Behaviour

Dr. Gabriela Ionita

Session Information: This workshop will focus on changing adult behaviour to help children build resilience to stress and anxiety through strategies such as scaffolding, supportive statements, and increasing confidence.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Large: more than 75 participants

11:45am - 12:45pm

Supporting Gender Transition: One Family's Heartwarming Story

Heather Mackay

Session Information: Gain profound insights into the lived experiences of a family navigating the complexities of gender identity and explore how parents and educators can foster an environment of inclusivity and belonging.

Session outcomes:

  • Develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by students and the critical need for genuine empathy and support.
  • Experience greater motivation and empowerment to foster inclusive settings for students of diverse genders.
  • Build confidence and comfort in interacting with and supporting gender diverse students and their families.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing.

Session 1

9:30am - 10:30am

Destigmatizing "Problem Behaviours" in Students with Complex Trauma: Applying Curiosity, Compassion and Connection to Facilitate Student Resilience and Success

Kathryn Als

Session Information: This session explores the depths of child & youth complex trauma, some of the driving factors behind student behaviour in the classroom and how teachers can utilize a trauma-savvy approach to support these students.

Session outcomes:

  • Understand the "why" behind student behaviour through the lens of trauma and trauma-informed care
  • Explore the depths of Adverse Childhood Experiences (what they are, risk factors, preventative factors and how they present in the classroom)
  • Identify the benefits of applying curiosity, compassion and connection to form meaningful relationships with students

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

An Introduction to PreVenture: An Effective Evidenced-Based Mental Health (e.g. anxiety, worry, and impulsivity) Support and Substance Use Prevention Program

Lauren Dade

Session Information: This session will highlight factors that can impact mental health and wellbeing, and give an overview of the evidence-based PreVenture program, which effectively reduces concerning ways of coping and leads to better mental health outcomes.

Audience: Teachers and parents

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","Senior School Parent"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Supporting Neurodiversity through an Emotional Regulation Approach

Kelsey Penney

Session Information: Compliance is not the goal. This session will provide educators with the tools and strategies they need to shift from behaviour management to emotional regulation.

Session outcomes:

  • Educators will explore a shift in perspective in how they approach challenging behaviours
  • Educators will learn about how changes to the environment, and their own interactions can impact and support neurodiverse studetnts

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: All Educators, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Creating Belonging by Leading with Care

Kevin Frick

Session Information: In this session, we will explore how things that bring joy and core values can lead to a personal mission statement that can guide interaction to create belonging with diverse populations in the classroom and beyond. The goals include (1) exploring methods of developing a joy and valued-based personal mission statement and (2) identifying key values that help to create belonging for students being taught or teams being worked with.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Supporting Marginalized Students Mental Health Through Voice

Kiranjit Kaur Shoker

Session Information: Using an asset based pedagogical approach, identifying practices that empower voice, acknowledge the structures that inhibit student wellness, and build agency in students.

Session outcomes:

  • Explore the relationship between mental health and marginalized students
  • Identifying how asset-based pedagogical approaches uplift our students especially those who are historically oppressed for their differences

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Flourishing at School: Stress, Mental Health, and Learning

Meg Kapil

Session Information: Flourishing at school is supported by how the puzzle pieces of stress regulation, mental health, and learning fit together, this session will address:
• The role of stress and stress regulation in mental health, learning, and flourishing at school

Session outcomes:

  • How to grow mental health and wellbeing for students and how this impacts learning
  • How to manage both school related stress and stressors together for flourishing at school

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Recognizing and Addressing Compassion Fatigue among Educators

Rae Morris

Session Information: This session will share information for educators on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in teaching as potential outcomes of supporting student mental health.

Session outcomes:

  • Define compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction as relates to educators of children and youth
  • Identify risks and protective factors associated with compassion fatigue among those working in education
  • Reflect on strategies for reinforcing individual and collective self-care and compassion satisfaction

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Brains and Screens: Parenting and Teaching through the Attention Economy

Adi Aharon

Session Information: How do harmful aspects of technology impact the growing brain, and what are some solutions and ideas for minimizing these impacts?
- Learn about the attention economy
- Explore current research on how brains are impacted by screens
- Outline possible solutions

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

The Privilege of Being Trans

Quinn Casey

Session Information: The Privilege of Being Trans is about flipping the script so that cisgender people understand that this fight for transgender people's safety is actually for them too-- and, rather, for all of us-- not just transgender people.

Session outcomes:

  • To guide people on how to support the minds and futures of trans people inside and outside of schools
  • To raise awareness and provide academic information about why trans people's stories and the dialogues we co-construct on this topic are necessary for the wellbeing of not just trans people but cis people as well
  • To humanize and localize transphobic oppression through storytelling

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing.

9:30am - 10:30am

Dance & Mental Health

Tanya Parker

Session Information: In this interACTIVE workshop, you’ll gain a better understanding of mental health and the factors that affect it by experiencing practical dances that use purposefully designed movements to promote and foster positive mental health, addressing the cognitive, social, physical and emotional domains of wellbeing.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","Elementary School Parent"]

Please bring: Running Shoes, Athletic attire, Water bottle

9:30am - 10:30am

Supporting Children and Teens Manage Stress and Anxiety

Dr. Gabriela Ionita

Session Information: Providing practical tools to help you support children and teens in managing stress and anxiety.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

9:30am - 10:30am

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes: DEI roleplaying experience

Nancy Shadlock

Session Information: This unique experience brings people together, building empathy and understanding. Through the powerful equalizer of play, participants are invited to try on a different identity/characteristic that might be much more diverse than their own. The positive effects of this approach will be felt in your school long after the event has ended.

Session outcomes:

  • Learning a greater sense of empathy to support students, staff and parents with, build resilience and create higher retention rates.
  • Creating safe space for people of other races, sexualities and genders to share who they truly are.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Joining from a laptop rather than a phone is preferred. Engagement is required to participate in this session.

9:30am - 10:30am

Unpacking Social Media

Omari Newton

Session Information: "Unpacking Social Media” is both a Digital Citizenship & Anti-(Cyber)Bullying presentation. OWTA is proud to present “Unpacking Social Media”, a virtual presentation that examines the origins and influence that Social Media has on young people today. Using OWTA’s trademark edutainment style that combines video, slam poetry, and audience participation & interaction, the presentation explores the power and pitfalls associated with navigating popular social media platforms. Participants will discover the responsibility of being a digital citizen.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

Session 2

11:45am - 12:45pm

Supporting Gender Transition: One Family's Heartwarming Story

Heather Mackay

Session Information: Gain profound insights into the lived experiences of a family navigating the complexities of gender identity and explore how parents and educators can foster an environment of inclusivity and belonging.

Session outcomes:

  • Develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by students and the critical need for genuine empathy and support.
  • Experience greater motivation and empowerment to foster inclusive settings for students of diverse genders.
  • Build confidence and comfort in interacting with and supporting gender diverse students and their families.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INSPIRATIONAL: Shared Story/Personal Experience

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing.

11:45am - 12:45pm

Build Capacity to Teach Sexuality Education and Healthy Relationships Skills to Youth

Jessica Wollen

Session Information: Learn how to teach comprehensive health education to teenagers using the Circuit. The Circuit is an inclusive and comprehensive Sexual Health Education Program for students aged 14-18 years old.

Session outcomes:

  • Learn how the Circuit works
  • Play some healthy relationship games from the Circuit toolkit
  • Identify how healthy relationship skills could impact your school community

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion Senior School Educator

Age-group: All Educators, Senior School Parent, All Parents

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Your Nervous System, Toxic Positivity, and Finding Your Authentic Self

Nicola Doughty

Session Information: Expectations for self-care have put undue pressure on individuals to prove their commitment to well-being at the expense of true, gentle self-awareness and acceptance. Participants will come away with a solid understanding of their own nervous system and how to approach self-care from the inside out!

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Health and Wellness of Neuro-Diverse students: what do they experience and what supports are effective?

Piers Samson

Session Information: The common aspects of health and wellness of those with a neuro-diverse background (FASD, ASD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities) will be explored along with a variety of supports that can help prevent and/or support healing.

Session outcomes:

  • Examination of the incidence and most common issues in mental health and wellness of a variety of kinds of students with learning disabilities.
  • Commonalities in home life for the neuro-diverse students.
  • What kinds of experiences can harm outcomes for those with neuro-diversity?
  • What kinds of life experiences can protect outcomes for those with neuro-diversity?
  • What interventions can help change outcomes for those with neuro-diversity?

  • Personal experiences and stories from work will be used to help with a practical understanding of the theoretical knowledge described.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

All of Me: Whole-Person Approach to Supporting ADHD Students

Meg Kapil

Session Information: ADHD encompasses the whole person and includes several important components that need to be managed together, this session outlines a neurodiversity affirming approach to supporting mental health and success for the whole person with ADHD including:
• Strategies for stress and emotion regulation for ADHD minds
• Support for ADHDers regarding healthy relationships and strong self-worth
• Strategies and practices for facilitating adaptive learning practices and executive function for ADHD minds

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Parenting & the Pressure to be Perfect

Lisa Cavey

Session Information: We’ll be diving into a topic that resonates with many of us—navigating the societal pressures for parental perfection. In our fast-paced world, we often find ourselves grappling with unrealistic standards imposed by society. This includes how we perceive ourselves as parents and the expectations we place upon our parenting journey. This presentation will focus on empowering parents with insights and strategies to navigate societal pressures for perfection in today's world.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Safe Spaces are Brave Spaces – Creating Classrooms that Foster Belonging

Hayley Jacobs

Session Information: In this session, I will distill and share from my lived experiences, education, and training what I believe creates classrooms centered in belonging.
• Why I and why we should be taking about belonging in the classroom
• How to foster classroom belonging
• A Case Study - Belonging in practice

Audience: Teachers ONLY

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators"]

Please bring: Notepad or laptop

11:45am - 12:45pm

Resilience at Work: Addressing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Levonne Abshire

Session Information: Resilience has become a buzzword as organizations seek ways to support their staff to stay productive in turbulent, complex, and pressurized workplaces.
Resilience assists employees and teams to:
» Adapt to frequent change and uncertainty
» Stay productive, despite increasing demands to deliver more with less
» Manage expectations that may exceed delivery capabilities
» Maintain physical and emotional wellbeing despite job pressures.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Paper and pen or laptop to take notes if desired

11:45am - 12:45pm

Incorporating Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices to Support Student Mental Health and Wellness

Rae Morris

Session Information: This session will share information for educators about the neurodiversity-affirming practices and ways to incorporate neurodiversity into student mental health and wellness initiatives.

Session outcomes:

  • Define neurodiversity and other relevant terminology
  • Reflect on common experiences of neurodivergent students in the school and classroom
  • Reflect on strategies for incorporating neurodiversity into mental health and wellness initiatives, for the benefit of all students

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Exploration of a topic and time for attendee discussion

Age-group: ["Elementary School Educator","Senior School Educator","All Educators","Elementary School Parent","Senior School Parent","All Parents"]

Please bring: Nothing

11:45am - 12:45pm

Addressing Anxiety in Children and Teens by Changing our Behaviour

Dr. Gabriela Ionita

Session Information: This workshop will focus on changing adult behaviour to help children build resilience to stress and anxiety through strategies such as scaffolding, supportive statements, and increasing confidence.

Audience: Teachers AND parents together

Format: INFORMATIONAL: Information, data and research driven

Age-group: ["All Educators","All Parents"]

Please bring: Large: more than 75 participants

Conference Recordings

The following recordings will be made available until March 31st 2024.


Opening Keynote - Cultivating Kindness

Passcode: D!1W?TJH

Closing Keynote - Honouring Kindness Through Storytelling

Passcode: 4yy^^Z#A

Addressing Anxiety in Children and Teens by Changing our Behaviour

Passcode: ?wBUS9CT

Developing Curriculum to Explore Colonial Praxis and Legacies

Passcode: q9h=F@3w

Key Principles and Pedagogies for Indigenous Education

Passcode: 8v4@pY?n

Redefining Education in the Generative AI Era

Passcode: 5&$v*1@8

AI in Schools: Identifying the Benefits and Risks

Passcode: J#c5bAH6

AI EmpowerED: Learning in the Digital Classroom

Passcode: jtz9=z=Q

Nature Connectedness as a path to Hope-Filled Whole-School Climate Action

Passcode: cO2.0T4^

Exploring Biodiversity: iNaturalist, Citizen Science, and Your Classroom

Passcode: Qp05mv$#

Growing a Learning Landscape at your school

Passcode: o$m0HN5$

Let's go outside: Apparel Design for a Changing Climate

Passcode: a$5t+xg.

The Climate Emotions Scale: Earth & Life

Passcode:M3SP9$ZQ

Climate Change Pedagogies

Passcode: *bbqwk0!

Resilience for Chaotic Times: Tools to Build Adult Inner Resources

Passcode: xKEc&eC6

Student Choice - Blended Learning in the Mathematics Classroom

Passcode: F^pb$34D

Adventures in Partnered Reading: Action Research in light of ChatGPT and Proficiency Scales

Passcode: Ps2+Q!m%

Inquiry and Blended Learning Programs With BC Based "Live It Earth"

Passcode: #f^3FcFV

Empowering Educators: Professional Development and Growth Using 360-Degree Reviews

Passcode: =g.7JFNx

Self-Hatred: The True Cause of Romeo's Suicide?

Passcode: B.=S9*#v

Coaching in the Classroom - How to Ask Effective Questions

Passcode: HAn=g64g

Amplifying Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability through IT Practices

Passcode: Luf$N6yx

Balancing Wellbeing and High-Performance as a Student Athlete

Passcode: 2V&RTk$2

The World's Best Digital Library (Archive.org)

Passcode: 5cA=BVF!

Destigmatizing "Problem Behaviours" in Students with Complex Trauma: Applying Curiosity, Compassion and Connection to Facilitate Student Resilience and Success

Passcode: y00b9n?2

Supporting Neurodiversity through an Emotional Regulation Approach

Passcode: U0fpa!k%

Creating Belonging by Leading with Care

Passcode: $ODv7?7v

Supporting marginalized students mental Health through voice

Passcode: .YwGs4Tx

Flourishing at School: Stress, Mental Health, and Learning

Passcode: +7xMc.L%

Recognizing and Addressing Compassion Fatigue among Educators

Passcode: C!Nw*u2u

Supporting Children and Teens Manage Stress and Anxiety

Passcode: G#@UR0XB

Supporting Gender Transition: One Family's Heartwarming Story

Passcode: qs&R+N8Q

Build capacity to teach sexuality education and healthy relationships skills to youth

Passcode: P?6Z1L2y

Health and Wellness of Neuro-Diverse students: what do they experience and what supports are effective?

Passcode: *MWd5v=7

All of Me: Whole-Person Approach to Supporting ADHD Students

Passcode: SmnC7*jA

Resilience at Work: Addressing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Passcode: A*=0p95W

Learn with Your Head, Lead from the Heart & Speak Your Truth: Empowering ReconciliACTION in Schools

Passcode: w?Qd0Ak3

Incorporating Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices to Support Student Mental Health and Wellness

Passcode: rGa$170.

Parenting & the Pressure to be Perfect

Passcode: q^r@9kdr

Exploring Indigenous Teachings with Minecraft



Attendee Information

Thank you for attending the ISABC Professional Development Conference.  Below are a few resources from the conference that you may be interested in and the winners to our wellness prizes.



Closing Keynote Resources:

Wellness Prize Winners:

  1. Guided Journal, Notes to Mindfulness - Winner: Teresa, Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School 
  2. The 5 Minute Journal - Winner: Tamara, West Point Grey Academy
  3. Saje - Uplifing Routine Kit - Winner: Lizzie, York House School
  4. Saje - Aroma Nook Diffuser - Winner: Sarah, Brentwood College School
  5. Skwálwen Botanicals $100 Gift Card - Winner: Darhen, Brockton School
  6. Saul Good - Fresh Start Gift Basket - Winner: Darrell, Meadowridge School
  7. Sprit Bear - Cold Brew Coffee Maker - Winner: Dan, Stratford Hall
  8. Headspace - 1 Year Membership - Winner: Hannah, Glenlyon Norfolk School
  9. Richard Van Camp Suggested Indigenous Books - Winners: Ryan (St. George's), Jilly (St. John's), Cory (Highroad Academy), Johnny (King David), Michelle (Shawnigan Lake)
  10. A Collection of Books by Richard Van Camp - Winners: Lauren (Urban Academy), Menka (Collingwood), Deb (Pythagoras Academy)

 

FAQFrequently Asked Questions


There is no charge for teachers and parents within the ISABC to attend the conference. For non-ISABC members, the cost is $50 per person.
If you are registering with other teachers from a non-ISABC, your school will be invoiced after the conference for your attendance. If you are a single attendee from a non-ISABC school you can send the $50 payment by interact transfer to bonniefisher@isabc.ca. Please make sure to add your name in the notes field and to reference ISABC Conference 2024.
Of course, welcome! Please note that for non-ISABC member attendees the cost for the day is $50 per person. Please see the payment instructions in the question above.
Going virtual this year again allows us to welcome participants from all over British Columbia, enhancing the diversity of perspectives and experiences. We've heard your feedback about wanting more opportunities to connect with colleagues. This year we've introduced an exciting new platform, complete with dedicated networking time between sessions. Get ready for a dynamic and interactive Professional Development Conference experience!
Yes, welcome! Parents are invited again this year for the ISABC Professional Development Conference. There will be workshops open for just teachers and workshops available for teachers and parents. Parents, please ensure to select workshops that include parents as an audience.
You can view the timings of the conference above in the agenda section. The detailed schedule, including session speakers and topics that you can register for, will be available for viewing at the beginning of January 2024. In the meantime please continue to check this site for an updated speaker list.
Prior to the event, all registered attendees will receive an email with instructions on how to access the virtual conference platform. This email will contain all the necessary information to log in and navigate the platform.
Most sessions will be recorded and will be made available to registered attendees after the event.
The virtual conference platform will include various interactive features, such as chat rooms, and discussion rooms. These features will enable attendees to connect with fellow participants, fostering meaningful interactions and discussions.
Attendee registration opens on January 15th, 2024 at 9am. We encourage you to register as soon as it is open. Some sessions have limited capacity, so early registration ensures your preferred choices, and that you receive timely information. Attendee registration closes on January 28th, 2024 at midnight.
Upon request we can provide you with a certificate of attendance. Please email Veronica at info@isabc.ca after the day.
For any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to email Veronica at info@isabc.ca. We are here to assist you and ensure you have a valuable conference experience.