2026 Summer Symposium

Literacy instruction is one of the most powerful (and natural) spaces for social-emotional learning. This 60-minute session supports literacy educators and instructional coaches in intentionally integrating SEL into content instruction by leveraging Common Core character development standards to build empathy and perspective-taking.


Grounded in the CASEL competencies of Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Self-Awareness, participants will explore how read-alouds, close reading, and text-based discussions can help students analyze characters’ emotions, motivations, and decisions in ways that deepen both comprehension and social understanding. Educators will experience modeled strategies, three interactive discussion protocols (differentiated for elementary and secondary), and planning tools that align SEL outcomes with existing literacy goals, without adding new curriculum or instructional time.


Participants will leave with ready-to-use discussion prompts and a activity planning framework that empowers students to better understand themselves, others, and the collective “us” within stories and beyond.

In this session, participants will explore how psychological safety, relational trust, and shared purpose form the foundation of healthy, high-performing schools. Through stories, research-based insights, and practical examples, we will examine how these three pillars shape both adult well-being and student success. Attendees will reflect on how “The Power of Us” shows up—or breaks down—in their own school communities. Participants will leave with clear, actionable strategies to strengthen connection, belonging, and collective efficacy across their teams.