Overall Focus: This four-part learning sequence will allow participants to learn the relationship between student belonging and educators’ ability to use grounded learning to discuss and solve the complex issues that affect their schools. Participants will deepen their understanding of the Brave Community method and explore how it can ground pedagogies of belonging (including those explored in the other professional tracks.)

Facilitator: Dr. Janine de Novais

Note: All participants will receive a copy of the Brave Community book

Day 1

• Introductions

• Backplanning Agreements

• Learning: Brave Community Workshop (overview/refresher; case studies)

• Application: What are our guiding questions for this series?

Day 2

• Learning: Grounding for Learning as Conflict Resilience: A Deep Dive on This Method in Context

• Application: Selecting an Equity Area of Focus (connection to other professional tracks)

Day 3

• Learning: Content & Culture: Which is the biggest challenge?

• Application: Build Your Grounding Inventory; Discussion on how to grow your inventory

Day 4

• Reflecting on Belonging Conference

• Learning: Connecting Educators’ Use of BC to Student Belonging

• Application: Designing for 2025-2026