The Ojai Foundation’s Council in Schools Program
At The LAUSD Council Practitioners Center
Is proud to offer an opportunity for a 2-day educator training

An Introduction to Council for Educators
Feb. 12 & 19, 2011
8am – 4:30 pm both days: At New Roads High School,
3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica 90404

This course is approved by the LAUSD for salary point credit.

Course and Materials Fee: $250 (Scholarships available, see note)

Register now by clicking here or call (805) 646-8343.

(Note: Up to 50% needs-based scholarships, underwritten by foundation grants, may be available for all LAUSD certificated employees. Please inquire at the time of registration.)

What happens in the 16-hour training? Participants will…
• Enjoy a fun-filled, relaxing, rejuvenating time, sharing stories, experiences, and play with colleagues.
• Receive one salary point for the completion of the course and two brief process papers.
• Experience many forms of Council: basic, web, spiral, fishbowl, learning circle, response, dyadic, virtual, witnessing, and conflict exploration.
• Learn the history of relational practices and applications of Council in communities, classrooms, businesses, and other settings.
• Acquire skills to connect Council to three curricular areas: 1) literacy and content standards in all disciplines; 2) the educator’s reading of the “interpersonal field” of the classroom and school community; and 3) the issues students want and need to talk about.
• Experience multimodal forms of council (mindfulness, art, movement, improvisation, music), accommodating multiple intelligences, learning styles, ELL, and Special Education.
• Acquire basic facilitation skills and methods for using Council in large groups with limited space and time.
• Learn to use Council for adult staff meetings, parent and community meetings, classroom norming, content delivery, content processing, assessment of understanding, determining course corrections, setting intentions, accountability, and celebrating transitions and successes.
• Understand how to set up and sustain a school council program, including an “open-feedback loop” for responding to a school’s accomplishments, issues, crises, and concerns.
• Receive a 200-page training manual.

Nothing is more important than the quality of our relationships. Council brings connection and meaning into classrooms and school communities. TOFs Council Practitioners Center in the LAUSD aims to support school staff, parents and community members in the practice of listening to children and to each other. Council is a dialogic practice based on worldwide indigenous and cultural systems as well as contemporary group dynamics. Classroom teachers learn to use Council to create community among students and to engage them in making lively connections to the academic standards. Counselors and administrators use Council with staff, student, parent, family, and community groups. Council is now practiced at over 40 LAUSD schools as well as many private and charter schools and is integrated into teacher and counselor training at CSULA.

To learn more about Council in schools go to: http://ojaifoundation.org/program/council-schools

For Council in Schools inquiries: joseph.provisor@lausd.net or monica.chinlund@lausd.net