About the Symposium
Our SEL and CP&I Symposium Vision
We invite one another to
create and nurture identity safe, brave spaces,
center the voices of our students,
elevate the voices of our families and our collective community,
provide intentional opportunities for storytelling, meaning-making, empathy and healing, and ultimately
connect and transform our world through social and emotional learning and cultural proficiency and inclusiveness practices.
A Message from Leadership
SEL and CP&I Connected on Purpose is more than just our theme for this year’s symposium. It is a proclamation of the intentionality of our evolved department. As some of you may know, for more than ten years, the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness (CP&I) teams have been growing awareness, deepening relationships, and building momentum throughout the district in parallel courses. The two teams had been working more closely and collaboratively together. Through these interactions, it was clear that the two initiatives work most effectively in tandem. Nationally, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) long known to many educators as a leading research center and advocate for social and emotional learning (SEL), adopted an ambitious three-year strategic plan in 2019 that prioritized advancing SEL in service of equity and excellence, elevating the criticality of SEL for adults, and ensuring integration of SEL throughout the instructional process. As a steward of district-wide SEL implementation, Austin ISD reorganized the department in 2021 to form one SEL and CP&I team with a singular mission focused on transformative SEL (tSEL) for our students, staff, families and the community at large.
One Band, One Sound
Leon Brown said, "You cannot grow unless you are willing to change. You will never improve yourself if you cling to what used to be." Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana that means “go back and get it.'' It is symbolized by a bird with its feet facing forward and its head looking back. The spirit of Sankofa encompasses taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present to make progress in the future. Austin ISD has a rich history of SEL implementation, while innovating towards a more equitable and just destiny for those who have been marginalized by our society. We want to honor our past while pioneering our future. Adopting CASEL’s revised definition of transformative SEL (tSEL) has expanded our practices to reconstruct inequitable systems and settings. When we center our practices on the five focal constructs for transformative SEL, we unlock the keys for equity.
Identity
Agency
Belonging
Collaborative Problem-Solving
Curiosity
As we embark on this new adventure to bolster educational outcomes for students, we invite you to critically reflect on your own social, emotional and cultural competencies. Stretch, grow and learn from the powerful stories of others' lived experiences. Remember, we do not fear people whose story we know. We are so excited that you made the choice to join us at our annual SEL and CP&I Symposium because prioritizing adult transformative SEL learning is necessary for the pursuit of equity and excellence.
Let’s stay, CONNECTED ON PURPOSE!
Statia Paschel
Director of SEL and CP&I
About the SEL and CP&I Symposium
Austin ISD hosts our ninth annual SEL and CP&I Symposium for local educators, administrators and community members. The Symposium offers an excellent peer-to-peer learning opportunity in which we'll be taking a deeper dive into the important work of social and emotional learning and cultural proficiency and inclusiveness. The theme of the 2023 SEL and CP&I Symposium is "Connected on Purpose."
This event is designed to invite the rich, diverse experience and expertise of the professional educators in our district into a brave space: our own container of safety that invites challenging conversations about the realities of our school system, and how we can each work to reduce the predictability of who succeeds and who fails within it. We seek to explore classroom practices that uplift social and emotional learning and cultural proficiency and inclusiveness, ultimately creating a sense of physical and emotional safety and belonging which are essential in the foundation for teaching and learning.
To learn more about the mission of the SEL and CP&I Department, please check out our Statement of Purpose.
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Our Event Agreements
In support of this equity-centered SEL process, we commit to using the Courageous Conversations agreements to engage, sustain and deepen our dialogues around the SEL Symposium. These agreements are designed to work in tandem together.
STAY ENGAGED:
This means remaining emotionally, intellectually, and relationally involved in the dialogue. To stay engaged is to not let your heart and mind “check out” of the conversation while leaving your body seated at the table (or as a square in the Zoom room). We suggest taking a breath and coming back to conversation if you feel you're disengaging.SPEAK YOUR TRUTH:
Speak your truth means being honest about your thoughts, feelings, and opinions and not just saying what you perceive others want to hear. Speaking your own personal truth allows you to fully engage and develop deep meaningful connections in these brave spaces.EXPERIENCE DISCOMFORT:
Discomfort is a catalyst for growth. Engaging in tough conversations can may make you feel uncomfortable. Agreeing to experience discomfort allows us to create brave space and increase our tolerance for discomfort, so that we increase our ability to address challenges and adapt to change.EXPECT & ACCEPT NON-CLOSURE:
This agreement focuses on the understanding that we are engaging in learning and conversations that are part of a larger ongoing process, allowing us to to commit to an ongoing dialogue and reflection.
(Adapted from source: Courageous Conversations & Pacific Education Group)