TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Overview
SSN Live is our ongoing discussion series for members to discuss topics that are top of mind, find community with each other, and gain insights from Network colleagues.
Members reflect on their experiences and share strategies that are working (or not) as they navigate the challenges of our current reality.
Stay tuned for other Sounds from the Network.
October 16 SSN Live | The Promise and Pitfalls of Transformative SEL
During this discussion, Network members grounded themselves in the benefits and risks of Transformative SEL, and the potential implications for practice
RESOURCES SHARED
CASEL-SEL as a lever for equity slides. Definition of transformative SEL, and an update of the CASEL five core competencies framework to explicitly address equity.
CASEL, Emerging Insights on Advancing Social and Emotional Learning -
Insight 1: Explicitly position and communicate about SEL as a lever for equity
Insight 2: Prioritize adult learning and critical reflection about their own social, emotional, and cultural competencies
Insight 3: Elevate students’ cultural assets, voice, and agency
Insight 4: Partner authentically with families and communities to develop culturally responsive approaches to SEL
Insight 5: Establish SEL data strategies that help to share power, dismantle inequities and build more equitable learning environments
Foundations for Youth SEL Development- How do practitioners at sites where youth experience exceptional SEL growth explain this growth? Success Network staff captured six foundations that “Bright Spot” practitioners see as building blocks of an environment that supports youth SEL development.
Guide to Lead with Transformative SEL- During an unprecedented school year, tips to focus on:
Strengthening relationships with program participants
Engaging participants’ interests, whole identities, and experiences in program
Lifting up participants’ assets to create safe and supportive spaces
Managing practitioner stress in program
Leaning into innovation in program
National Equity Project, Social Emotional Learning and Equity-
Pitfalls and recommendations for educators seeking to implement SEL to make progress on equity and inclusion.
Data Discussion Worksheet- with CASEL Prompts for Equity-Minded Reflection.
October 8 SSN Live | Building Connections For Disconnected Youth
This discussion explored the possibilities for a collective impact approach to reducing the number of disconnected youth in NYC.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Youth voices are pivotal in responding to the crisis of disconnected youth. We prioritize partnerships with organizations like Teens Take Charge, as well as the contributions of interns, to co-design solutions. See the recommendations offered by youth in partnership with TTC.
The pandemic further complicates engagement with OSOW youth. Its effect on compounding stressors often exacerbates anxiety and poor mental health for these youth. For instance, practitioners are noticing a reduction in participation in programming and in school attendance, as a result of interrupted sleep patterns and competing responsibilities (e.g., caregiving and needing to earn income for housing and food).
A significant barrier to addressing the crisis is lacking or inaccessible post-secondary training and employment opportunities. Examples range from funding and programming cuts, to piecemeal information, and challenging systems for tracking needs and sharing resources.
Our Network (in collaboration with our partners from JobsFirstNYC, TTC, and others) has the potential to focus on: (1) case management to get to the bottom of challenges; (2) coordinating resources for collaboration across key partners; (3) youth-friendly and standardized referral processes; and (4) offering centralized access to services.
RESOURCES SHARED
NYC Opportunity - NYC Opportunity provides a broad range of educational programming – most targeting young adults- primarily focusing on mentorship, increasing literacy skills, working with disconnected youth, and bridging the graduation rate gap.
Transfer to Career Collaborative- Innovative career development strategy for transfer high school students that seeks to improve the postsecondary and workforce outcomes of New York students most at risk of becoming part of the out-of-school, out-of-work population.
Young Adult Sectoral Employment Project-YASEP harnesses the power of sectoral employment strategies for young New Yorkers.
Map of NYC tech training and education ecosystem- Use this map to explore the educational and workforce training infrastructure available to working adults and students in grades K–12. The accompanying report can be found here.
September 22 SSN Live | Unlearning Our Current Perspective of Trauma & Resilience
This discussion explored our work through the lenses of trauma-informed practice and racial equity.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Thinking of resilience along a continuum as opposed to simply resolving that some people have it and others don't. Resilience can occur while experiencing trauma & looks different in different people so we want to hold space for all the ways it can show up.
Resilience if not just an individual process but shows up at the community level as well.
Young people do many different things (e.g. the student who shows up every day, but then puts their head down in class -- or turns their screen off) to cope and for self-preservation that should not be misunderstood as "resistance."
We must hold space and let go of “normal!” What was normal before the pandemic contributed to where we are today. This moment is for challenging norms and leaning into equity and human-centered approaches.
Check out Ramapo’s Guide for Nurturing Resilience
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
The intergenerational trauma of First Nations still runs deep (2015) - An article detailing how intergenerational trauma, and the different supports needed to deal with it, impact indigenous communities in Canada.
Understanding and Treating Intergenerational Transmission of
Trauma (2014)- A brief breakdown of the Zurin Institute’s
defining intergenerational trauma.
Transcend’s curated collection of practices for supporting
social-emotional wellbeing while remote.
September 15 SSN Live | Starting with Transformative SEL
A discussion about the primary way(s) that members are considering SEL in the year ahead.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Members and their organizations acknowledge the risks of not prioritizing adult social and emotional development and are therefore committed to investing in resources that support practitioners’ engagement in reflective practices to learn about their own identities, experiences, and potential biases, and how they might influence interactions with students and families.
Reaching students and families while remote:
For older youth, virtual outreach & engagement has been pretty successful. Some programs are even seeing an uptick in student and family participation now that place-based accessibility isn’t a barrier.
Virtual engagement presents some challenges for elementary school-aged youth and their families as students might need more hands-on support from parents, or need to share a device and space.
Members are utilizing creative ways to sustain relationships and a sense of connection with staff (and students) at their organizations. Some examples include virtual game platforms like Kahoot to break from monotonous work tasks.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
SSN’s Guide to Lead with Transformative SEL- includes hand-selected insights members have shared in Network convenings and conversations, as well as promising practices from experts in the field, to help us build and sustain cultures of trust, care and strong relationships in the year ahead. The guide was co-created with members.
Ethnography in a virtual world - Consider virtual ethnography along with other qualitative methods, to study online communities and culture. Wesley Shumar & Nora Madison (2013) Ethnography in a virtual world, Ethnography and Education, 8:2, 255-272, DOI:10.1080/17457823.2013.792513
August 18 SSN Live | Designing Metrics & Evaluation for a Virtual Program
A discussion about how remote programming will change how we measure our progress and success in our organization.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Members are open to capturing different kinds of data that may 'meet the moment,' and track the impact of pandemic-related challenges.
Practitioners are adjusting their programming metrics to avoid further harm to students and families, and overly burdensome surveying.
Students facial expressions might indicate engagement as well as speaking up. We’re wondering how alternative forms of engagement might be measured.
Consider how we can measure belonging and community in a virtual space and how we can involve students and a broader coalition of staff in the creation of those measures.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda
RESOURCES SHARED
“What to Evaluate in Virtual or Alternative Programs” from the American Camp Association"- An article covering what to prioritize when building program goals and looking for indicators, with additional resources on logic models
“Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School” (CASEL July 2020) - Detailing the dissatisfaction students of color around the country feel with university responses to racist incidents
Alex Shevrin Venet's Twitter Thoughts on Instagram - School leader Alex Shevrin Venet re-framing idea around Zoom/ Cameras/ Safe Environments
August 11 SSN Live | Addressing Racism in College Access & Success
A look into how race, and racialized experiences affect post-secondary students, and how practitioners can improve our collective approach to supporting those students. Facilitated by Ja'Dell Davis, Doctoral candidate in the Dept. of Sociology at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Whiteness, anti-blackness & racism are pervasive in institutions of higher education.
We don’t want to turn youth away from college as an option, but we must also acknowledge that admissions processes and institutions of higher education often perpetuate inequities and can be harmful to the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of Black and Brown students
College access/success practitioners need a foundational understanding of racism; from their individual orientations to racism, to how it functions in society and in higher education institutions.
College access professionals have power to hold colleges and universities accountable to fostering inclusive spaces for racially minoritized students to thrive. For example:
Documenting and tracking students’ lived experiences which guide referral systems
Providing varied options to help students navigate white dominant spaces with agency; a more holistic approach
College access professionals must be equipped and prepared to respond to the harmful experiences communicated by their students.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda
RESOURCES SHARED
Racial Microaggressions: Voices of Students of Color in the Classroom (Harwood et al 2015) - Report on findings about racial microaggressions that occur in learning environments at the University of Illinois Urbana -Champaign campus. Students of color reported experiences of stereotyping in class and being made to feel inferior because of their race.
Students Sick of 'Lip Service' From Universities Over Racism- Detailing the dissatisfaction students of color around the country feel with university responses to racist incidents
The Role of Critical Race Theory in Higher Education (Hiraldo 2010)- Academic article covering application and understanding of Critical Race Theory in colleges.
College Results - College Results Online (CRO) is an interactive Web tool designed to provide policymakers, counselors, parents, students, and others with information about college graduation rates for nearly any four-year college or university in the country, by race/ethnicity/gender/income, etc.
August 4 SSN Live | Ensuring a Positive Culture in Fall Programming
An exchange of ideas and questions about how to create programs that prioritize trust, care and dependable relationships in virtual program this upcoming season.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
It's important to apply lessons learned from our successes and challenges since going remote.
We have to be creative in our outreach strategies and relationship building to engage ALL students.
Modeling will be key to fostering strong connections with youth.
Check-in with your practitioners as well. Encourage and emphasize self-care.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda
RESOURCES SHARED
SEL & School Reopening in NYC: A Student Centered Approach - A webinar, hosted by NYC Outward Bound Schools & Urban Assembly on 8/5
Ensuring a Positive School Culture for the New Normal - A discussion, led by CASEL's Robert Jagers, Ph.D. around strengthening relationships and prioritizing SEL in your school culture.
Collaboration Tools for Building SEL Across the School Day and Out-of-School Time - These resources were developed specifically for school communities that are looking to align SEL practices across the full day - from before school, through classes, lunch and recess, until the last student leaves after-school programming.
SEL ‘Look-Fors’ in Blended Learning - Use this note-taking template to reflect before or after you lead a learning activity, or ask a colleague or coach to observe the learning activity as it takes place and share their notes with you.
July 21 SSN Live | Contribute to the Networks Gates-Funded SEL Research
A discussion about how we can approach quantitative data analysis with a racial equity lens and, contextualized by the lived experiences of our students and communities.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
We will continue to explore the connection and impact that environment and climate have on academic outcomes and SEL
Members are curious about what we can learn by measuring changes in SEL and academic outcomes over multiple years.
Be intentional about supplementing quantitative analyses with experiences of place, identity and belonging in the lives of our youth and practitioners.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda
RESOURCES SHARED
Student Success Network Youth SEL Survey - Check out the questions for a refresher on our survey.
“How to Meet Students’ Social-Emotional and Academic Needs When Schools Reopen”- Find information on discussing relationships between SEL factors and school climate.
“QuantCrit: education policy, ‘Big Data’ and principles for a critical race theory of statistics.”- Deep dive into the five principles drawn from critical race theory that guide our quantitative analyses
July 9 SSN Live | The City Budget Passed: What's Next?
Discussing how network members continue to adapt and plan in times of abrupt change and uncertainty.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Keep open lines of communication with all on your team, to ensure needs of community are met.
Plan for as many possible outcomes by playing out different scenarios as you strategize.
Delegate, delegate, delegate!
Maintain flexible meeting structures to meet the unpredictability of current circumstances
Leverage your network!
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda
RESOURCES SHARED
Full NYC Fiscal Budget 2021- Pages 1-7 provide a summary of the budget. You can explore the rest of the budget at your own leisure.
Scenario Thinking for an Unpredictable Year- A helpful article detailing the importance of scenario thinking, a technique used for longterm planning that is equally relevant to our current situation.
Student funding, NYPD in schools, summer youth programs: What you should know about NYC’s budget deal- Chalkbeat provides a breakdown for the budget deal, and what that may mean for our sector us.
June 30 SSN Live | Maintaining Organization Culture in the Face of Change
Changes in norms, routines and policies to shape organizational cultures during the pandemic.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Transparency is important now more than ever before
Boundaries are essential for a healthy workspace
We are not working from home; we are at home trying to work
Schedule team bonding and social time
Involve young people in the conversation to shape organizational culture
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda
RESOURCES SHARED
Remote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategies- A toolkit provided for workspaces that recently transitioned to a remote workflow.
HR Can’t Change Company Culture by Itself- Society for Human Resource Management published this article detailing the importance of a strong company culture
How to Foster Authentic Connection Between Remote Employees- 7 tips from PollEverywhere, detailing ways to remain connected, "even in these uncertain times."
Wheel of Names- Useful tool for meetings to ensure that all voices are heard, and sequencing in meetings is varied.
June 23 SSN Live | Reimagining Belonging: Shifting from the Individual to the Institution
Examining belonging as a competency for youth and adults and within the context of social and environmental conditions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Creating spaces where students feel accepted (their whole identities) and supported is a key factor in fostering belonging
Practitioners are encouraged to let go of the adult ego to build authentic relationships with youth
Always consider the historical and contextual factors that influence outcomes in the population you’re supporting
Psychological safety, and inclusiveness and transparency in all policies & practices are important factors for fostering belonging in adult workspace.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
The Value of Belonging at Work- A popular article by the Harvard Business Review on the importance of belonging for adults, sharing different theories on how to build a more inclusive workplace.
CASEL Guiding Questions for Educators: Promote Equity Using SEL- After creating a free CASEL account, have access to essential questions for those looking to deepen their knowledge on the intersection of SEL and Equity.
SEL as a Lever for Equity- CASEL’s 5-part webinar series on SEL as a Lever for Equity + Social Justice, Fridays at 1 pm. If you’ve missed any, check here for past webinars.
National Equity Project: Social & Emotional Learning and Equity- Highlights pitfalls and recommendations for educators seeking to implement SEL practices to make progress on equity; calls out belonging as essential.
June 9 SSN Live | Engaging Youth in Remote Physical Activity
Innovations and adaptations that members and youth are making to ensure a rewarding program experience while remote.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Build in space for youth to interact with each other
Remain flexible and build a wide array of program options
Healthy food scavenger hunts, counting steps, and long walks are all options to promote physical activities that nearly all youth can engage in
Keep an updated database of resources to better support students in need
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
June 2 SSN Live | Education After the Pandemic: A Vision for Equity
Imagining equitable education going forward. Co-facilitated by Rachel Castillo and Jhodessa Reimer of the Center for Family Life .
KEY TAKEAWAYS
White dominant culture and antiquated pedagogy don't inspire creativity or change
Use this time to pause and imagine what the future of our work can look like if we diverge from the status quo and invest in inclusive and liberatory education that engages students and enables their agency to transform their lives and the world around them
Interconnectivity between systems and individual environmental factors that influence youth development and educational outcomes
Through collaboration and collective impact, we can address how these elements interplay for deleterious impacts and mobilize comprehensive resources to remove barriers to learning
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda, and in our collaborative mural.
RESOURCES SHARED
Project Zero- The mission of Project Zero is to understand and enhance learning, thinking and creativity for individuals and groups in the arts and other disciplines.
Stanford Liberatory Design Resources- A Liberatory Design Resource Collection that offers a set of tools and resources born out of an urgent need to explore and design process steps and mindsets for designers to integrate the practice of design thinking with a mission toward equity.
CRT and The Brain- In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction.
Chris Emdin's Work- Dr. Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual and science advocate whose commentary on issues of race, culture, inequality and education have appeared in dozens of influential periodicals. He is the author of the award winning book, Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation and the New York Times bestseller For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too.
The Social Justice School- Using an educational model that blends rigorous academic instruction with community-centered project-based learning and liberatory design thinking, the Social Justice School creates an educational space where students across difference engage critically with the world and interrupt systems of inequality toward designing equitable systems with equal outcomes: liberation for all and a non-hierarchical society.
'Why We Can't Afford to Whitewash Social Emotional Learning' by Dena Simmons- Dena Simmons, and educator and speaker wrote this article on how we must teach SEL with a sociopolitical context & an anti-racist/equity lens, or risk perpetuating white supremacy culture and racism.
May 19 SSN Live | Remote Programming: What Does "Success" Look Like?
Exploring the realities of remote programming, and how to navigate setting realistic goals and expectations for future programming.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Listen to students and stakeholders to inform decisions on future activities.
Surveys, focus groups, meetings for reflection, and needs assessments are useful tools for collecting insights to inform decisions.
With variation in program delivery and online platforms, we can learn how to adapt to different engagement styles and be more prepared to adopt hybrid formats that balance online and in-person responsibilities in the future.
Remote learning is working for some students and reaching new populations.
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
Private app for groups to bring community together, share artwork, etc.
Navigating Uncertain Times: How Schools Can Cope With Coronavirus
This session is inspired by EdSurge’s guide to navigating uncertain times and their article on Setting ‘Reasonable’ Goals, Expectations and Routines for Remote Learning.
May 13 SSN Live | Choosing Creativity Virtually
Together with The Lulu & Leo Fund, SSN discusses how to creatively build virtual programming for students. Co-Facilitated by Debra Disbrow and Stephanie Krieger.
RESOURCES SHARED
Choose Creativity Virtual Lesson Plan Packet (LuLu & Leo Fund)
See participant perspectives in the Collaborative Poem that was created by session participants.
May 8 SSN Live | Shared Leadership with Youth in the Face of Change
How to advance equitable partnerships with youth as we envision what the future of our work will look like. Facilitated by Nana Chinara.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Adapt familiar activities for application in virtual mediums to maintain relationships and a sense of normalcy
Explore why students might not feel like they have the power or voice to lead during this time
Acknowledge students’ diminished capacities and burnout to inform how you invite youth into decision-making processes
Elevate activities that allow youth to contribute to and shape how they respond to what they’re experiencing
Keep youth informed by being transparent, sharing news and engaging in exchanges about how programming is being affected by COVID-19
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
Pernin Family Foundation, 2013
"The development of strong and vibrant cities, communities, and states requires the intentional cultivation of organizations at each level of the continuum."
Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO), 2003
“In explicitly acknowledging the marginal social and political status of teens and young adults, and by providing young people with the tools necessary for them to challenge systems and institutions on their own, youth organizing pushes the adult-determined boundaries of traditional youth work.”
Allyship: Challenging Ageism and Adultism in Youth Adult Partnership
SSN’s tool for defining important elements that are at play when discussing youth-adult partnerships and elevating the concept of allyship.
May 1 SSN Live | Supporting College Students Through 2020
An insightful discussion about opportunities and challenges that are surfacing as members support college students during the pandemic. Guided by CARA’s Shalema Henderson and Peer Fellow alumni, Tyler and Selena.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Nonprofit partners should pivot to help meet the most critical needs expressed by students
Try to gain as much clarity as possible about what students are facing to help them navigate barriers to learning with support to fit their unique realities
Distance learning hasn’t worked well for many students and professors
Use wellness check-ins as a starting point to maintain a sense of connection while we’re quarantined and ultimately help students navigate social, emotional and academic challenges.
The need for self-advocacy skills in a postsecondary setting is essential now and always
Student peers can be effective in engaging young adults that are harder to reach
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
CUNY Continuity for Students- Hub to support student continuity & matriculation.
SSN Resources for Navigating COVID-19 includes a section on supporting college students. Here are three highlights:
CACNY: resources, info hubs, and upcoming events to support college access and success practitioners.
GraduateNYC: CBO Needs and Resources including information on future student enrollment, matriculation and financial aid, and distance learning
uAspire: COVID-19 Support Resources covers key questions and procedures regarding financial aid
April 24 SSN Live | Data and Evaluation in the Time of COVID-19: Reassessing Priorities and Meeting Emerging Needs
Cecily Mitchell-Harper, Program Evaluation Associate at Ramapo for Children, guided this discussion about examining the role of data and of evaluators in the COVID-19 crisis.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Focus on tracking how you are reaching students and successfully connecting them to resources
Explore different questions that organizations wouldn't normally ask of program participants
Youth storytelling can be a powerful tool for data collection, youth engagement and healing from the trauma caused by the pandemic.
Consider gathering data qualitatively through 1:1 and group conversations to maintain connections with students
Be creative with social media to engage youth
Only collect what’s necessary
Be proactive and reach out to funders to have them be a part of adjusting expectations in this new reality
If you move forward with existing surveys, assume that you will not have the same level of responsiveness
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
Student Success Network Guide to Data & Evaluation During COVID-19- Ten of our members shared strategies to reassess priorities, innovate to meet emerging needs, engage stakeholders, and safeguard data.
Public Profit Spring Coffee Break Webinar Series: Now What? Evaluation and Learning in Disrupted Times- A fast, free, and fun webinar series to support mission-driven organizations as they figure out how to sustain their evaluation and learning efforts in the midst of the COVID-19 emergency.
Remind- Free texting platform to reach out to students and mentors.
My Bronx Impact- Enter a zip code to find free or cost-based local resources like medical care, food, job training, education, and more. Staff can make and track referrals with a free account.
April 17 SSN Live | Self-Care & Supporting Staff Through COVID-19
Nanda Prabhakar, Senior Vice President of Program Operations at NYC Mission Society, guided this discussion about supporting individual and organizational needs as our Network navigates the trauma caused by the pandemic.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Self-care is a priority
Try different things to stay connected
Restorative justice and trauma-informed practices can be useful to keep your community together virtually
Tools such as Slack and resource guides have been useful for internal staff to stay connected and navigate our current remote reality
Supervisor 1-1 check-ins that lend time for conversations about individual wellbeing, and offer suggestions for how to stay flexible as things change constantly, are great ways for managers to support their teams
At the organization level, town Hall Meetings and staff-wide conferences on topics such as job security, big-picture weekly updates, and regular wellness communications are also effective
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) : The Ultimate Tip Sheet for Working Remotely.
Suddenly Remote: A webinar series for the suddenly remote workforce
April 9 SSN Live | Keeping your Student Community Together
Adapting to ensure students feel connected to programming in the face of the rapid and drastic changes brought on by the pandemic.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Tech (hardware and software) remains a persistent obstacle to creating stable, consistent environments for students
Students struggle with motivation and energy to engage in extracurricular activities
Many activities that were used to build community previously are much more difficult virtually
Find ways to connect students with each other outside of class time
Let students take the lead
Build in unstructured segments and be flexible with activities
Be persistent and innovative with outreach
You don’t have to start with a completely blank slate now that we’re all working from home
Continue to ask your students what they need
See more perspectives captured in the participant agenda.
RESOURCES SHARED
VIRTUAL LEARNING RESOURCES curated by SSN:
SSN's Zoom Best-Practices Guide
Epic Theatre Ensemble’s Guide to running a rehearsal via Zoom
Example youth survey (from Nana, facilitator of Elevating Youth Voice): IntegrateNYC COVID19 Student survey
Graduate NYC + CUNY Network for College Success: CBO Needs & Resources
Girls for Gender Equity- #SaveSYEP Social Amplification.
New York Public Library:
Teens Take Charge:
Youth Communication- Inside Voices magazine--teens writing about their experiences during the pandemic.
Visit our Eventbrite Page to keep up with SSN Live dates.
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