Spring Toolkit 2025

There are a multitude of strategies and supports which can be utilized across educational environments to promote positive student behavior. The SEL Branching Minds library offers approaches which can be implemented by any educator, with detailed guidance and resources to implement evidence-based strategies. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to utilize the library of SEL Strategies to support both students and educators within their building.

This session will explore the importance of creating an inclusive school culture while simultaneously educating students about mental health, depression, and suicide awareness. When a school values mental health as much as physical health, that school's culture can thrive. This session introduces participants to the free and flexible depression and suicide awareness programs from Erika’s Lighthouse. Learn how these Tier 1 programs for 4th -12th grades, and all additional resources, support schools in providing evidence-informed mental health education and help-seeking skills for all students. These no-cost programs raise awareness about youth depression.

School counselors play an important role in ensuring student success through data analysis. Oftentimes, school counselors find themselves advocating for their role and justifying what are appropriate duties for school counselors. During this session, counselors will learn the benefits of a positive relationship with principals and how their relationships can contribute to the success of a school counseling program through advocacy.

Part II of Site Supervision Training for Approved Site Supervisors

Are you interested in building inclusive, trusting, and supportive communities with your students? Do you want practical resources to help students prevent bias-based harm? If so, this workshop is for you!

In this 50-minute session, you'll be introduced to the Office of Student Protections and Title IX’s Tier 1 Bystander Intervention Curriculum—a comprehensive program designed to foster identity-affirming learning environments where students feel confident stepping into themselves and standing up for one another. This curriculum was developed to be age-appropriate and is broken down across several grade bands. All trainings are available in both English and Spanish and include take-home extensions.

Participants will also learn about OSP’s Tier 2 Peer-to-Peer Bystander Intervention Curriculum Pilot, launching in Spring 2026. By the end of the session, attendees will understand the purpose and structure of these curriculums, their role in supporting implementation, and the available resources for staff training and family communication.

This session will explore the value of using SEL Skills data to celebrate and leverage students' strengths, and support skill development in areas of need. Participants will learn how to access and use DESSA data reports in the Branching Minds platform to identify strategies and interventions that support students' skill development, including how they might tailor their work with groups of students. Participants will also become more familiar with WCSD-SECA reports and how they can be powerful for engaging stakeholders, particularly student voice to inform decisions impacting tier 1 SEL. This session will be best-suited for counselors at schools that have administered the DESSA in previous cycles, or are planning to administer the assessment in future cycles. Exploration of the WCSD-SECA will provide an opportunity to discern collecting this data, even if their schools have not previously done so.

While quantitative data is a vital tool to understand how students navigate educational milestones, it is only one piece of students’ experiences. It does not always recognize their mindsets, triumphs, and hopes. The To&Through Project's Student Stories elevates CPS Alumni’s voices and offers a library of in-depth accounts from high school through their postsecondary experiences. Centering student voice, we will directly engage with an Audio Student Story and reflect on the implications for our practice through a group discussion.