Registration will close at 5pm PT on Friday June 21, 2024! Please register by then to save your spot.

About This Community of Practice

Join us for Room to Breathe, a virtual Community of Practice for California school and district leaders to envision, experience, and co-create caring, compassionate, equitable, and connected learning communities. 

As a school or district leader, you’re critical to the success of our schools, especially when it comes to the social-emotional well-being of your school communities. You work hard to support the hearts and minds of the adults and students who look to you for leadership, but do you regularly take the time to focus on your own social-emotional health and well-being?  

This Community of Practice is a unique opportunity for you to experience greater well-being for yourself, as an adult learner in a supportive community of school and district leaders across California. In four immersive sessions, you will explore the science of well-being, experience evidence-based mindfulness and well-being practices, and find a deeper connection to your work and school communities. You will also receive a resource bank of materials and practices to try with yourself, your staff, and students. 

Fees are fully covered for this month-long community of practice provided by the experts at the Greater Good Science Center. 

Four sessions on Mondays via Zoom: June 24, July 1, July 8, and July 15 from 10-11:30 am (PT). 

In our four sessions together, we’ll:

• Experience deep listening and connection
• Reflect on our values and explore how they may support us in making difficult decisions
• Practice setting boundaries with compassion
• Understand the impact of gratitude on well-being
• Try well-being practices for ourselves and school communities

Each session is highly interactive and will include:

• A featured practice and reflection
• Cutting-edge science and research behind well-being
• Opportunities for small group connection
• A time to share ideas, thoughts, and questions with the larger community

In order to build a community anchored by safety, trust, and connection, we ask that all who enroll plan to attend each session.

Testimonials

“Hearing about the experiences of other professionals was meaningful for me because it helped me connect with people in similar and different situations.”

“So much of the professional world is focused on tasks and checklists, but dedicating time to self-reflect and build community is what makes professionalism sustainable.”

“I’m inspired to practice gratitude every day.”

Facilitators

Salina Mae (she/her/ella), is a Bay Area born and raised community leader with over 20 years experience serving California schools both as a K-12 classroom teacher and as a mindfulness coach and consultant.   She specializes in building creative, inspired, and socially awake trainings and curricula that lead to action in the areas of mindfulness, social justice, and systems change. Salina is a certified yoga teacher, a dedicated mentor and advocate for LGBTQI+ youth and is currently a Director with The Teaching Well in Oakland, Ca. Salina Mae brings her whimsy, imagination, and passion for collective liberation to create ritual and rites of passage that support communities in transforming themselves from the inside out. 

Gabrielle Thurmond is a public school educator and the founder and principal consultant of Educate ABC123. She has spent over 20 years working in schools with administrators, teachers, and families in service to students.

Her mission is to assist adults to become the best version of themselves, so they can continue to model that for children in their lives. She does this by helping educators and parents build stronger communication bridges between school and home. Gabrielle is a Certified Professional Coach, Certified Yoga Teacher (RYT 200), and Restorative Justice Practitioner. She holds BA degrees in Ethnic Studies and Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and an MS degree in Educational Leadership from California State University at Hayward (now East Bay). In her free time, Gabrielle loves playing with her dog, Bougie, and taking long walks along the beach.