Turnaround Facilitates Summer Institute with DC Public Schools

This summer, Turnaround for Children worked with DC Public Schools (DCPS) Becoming Managers to design and facilitate the Whole-Child Leads 2022 Summer Institute. Each school has identified someone who is passionate about whole-child practices who can support school leadership with implementing whole-child practices that align with the Turnaround for Children Whole-Child Design Blueprint.

The Whole-Child Institute explored key science foundations and core practices of whole-child design. Participants learned about the science of learning and development, and core practices within three key components—developmental relationships; supportive environments; and knowledge, skill and mindset building. Grounded in a whole-child purpose, the Institute presented tools that translate the science into equity-based practice.

This Institute is part of an ongoing partnership with DCPS. Becoming Managers are members of the district’s new Department of Learning and Developmental Sciences division within the Office of School Improvement and Supports. This office supports the district’s transformation to become a whole-child centered, anti-racist school system. This department is responsible for prioritizing the research behind how children learn and what schools can do to create favorable conditions for learning.

Over three sessions this summer, nearly 90 whole-child leads from DCPS schools learned about whole-child design and how to put the science of learning and development into practice at their schools.

Turnaround’s Vice President of Partner Impact, Gretchen Livesey, co-facilitated the July 13-14 session with DCPS Becoming Manager, Heather Kurtz. Dawn Foreman, co-facilitated the July 26-27 session with DCPS Director of Learning and Development Sciences, Sarah Phillips, and Heather Kurtz. Dawn Foreman and Turnaround Partnership Director, MenSa Ankh Maa, co-facilitated the August 9-10 session with Sarah Phillips.

The school-based whole-child leads will participate in a year-long Whole-Child Improvement Network facilitated by Turnaround for Children Partnership Directors, Dawn Foreman and MenSa Ankh Maa.