Past Events
Your Local Library and Its Role in Building the Foundation for Family Engagement
Date: March 17, 2023
Speaker
Jodi dela Pena
Venue
Description
Jodi dela Pena, Librarian III, has been working in public libraries with children and families for over 20 years. She concentrated on youth and teen programs and services in her Master’s Degree program in Library Science and has been serving as the San Diego County Library’s Youth Services Manager for the last four years. She manages the county-wide youth and family programming that supports staff professional development, training, outreach, partnerships, and community engagement.
https://www.sdcl.org/
A-Ha Moments!
There are a wide array of services available online and some don’t even require a library card.
“Digital library cards” are available and obtainable in moments.
“eBooks” are available to listen to on your own device.
Community groups are able to book a community room; families are able to book study rooms for their children.
Live tutoring help is available online.
Let’s Hear From the Local View: YOU!
Date: February 10, 2023
Speaker
Venue
Description
——-Jan. 20, 2023 meeting CANCELLED DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES——-Rescheduled to Feb. 10, 2023
What are your top priorities in this post-pandemic year? Your concerns? Thankfulnesses? And how can we best support each other?
Come hear from your colleagues regarding what they’re seeing from their boots-on-the-ground vantage point in their individual locales. Come and share what’s on your family engagement heart.
Facilitated by Carol Dickson, Retired Consultant, California Department of Education; Co-founder, Friday CAFE, San Diego Chapter
Live Well San Diego's Amelia Barile Simon on Trauma-informed Practice
Date: December 9, 2022
Speaker
Amelia Barile Simon, Community Health Program Specialist, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency
Venue
Description
Live Well San Diego is a vision for a region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely, and Thriving. It aligns the efforts of individuals, organizations, and government to help all 3.3 million San Diego County residents live well. Please join Amelia Barile Simon at the Friday Café meeting, on Friday December 9th at 8:30-10:00 AM to learn more about what Live Well San Diego means for schools and families.
Amelia Barile Simon is a Community Health Program Specialist at the County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency – Public Health Services in the Chronic Disease and Health Equity Unit and Office of Violence Prevention. She has worked as an advocate to address various public health issues including tobacco use, asthma and lung disease, domestic violence, teen dating violence, trauma, worksite wellness, and chronic disease prevention. Her passion is empowering youth and families exposed to violence and trauma. She is a strong advocate for improving communities through building resident capacity, resilience, and leadership.
https://www.livewellsd.org
From Trauma to Resiliency, A San Diego County Story
Date: November 18, 2022
Speaker
Shulamit Natan Ritblatt, PhD, Professor Emerita in the Department of Child and Family Development at San Diego State University; Founder and CEO of delibrainy LLC; Audrey Hokoda, PhD, Senate Distinguished Professor in the Department of Child and Family Development at San Diego State University.
Venue
Description
From Trauma to Resiliency – Trauma-informed Practices Working With Children, Families, Schools and Communities
From Trauma to Resiliency highlights relationship-based interventions for diverse populations that have faced multiple traumas. Chapters explore the experiences of oppressed groups that include survivors of abuse, war, poverty, Indigenous youth, Middle Eastern refugee mothers, individuals who identify as sexual and/or gender minorities (SGM), and children and youth involved in child welfare, foster care, and juvenile justice systems. Contributors provide strengths-based, trauma-informed strategies that can be used in clinical settings, school-based programs, and in urban communities where food insecurity, limited access to health services, and community violence are prevalent. Professionals and students in counseling, social work, psychology, child welfare, education, and other programs will come away from the book with culturally affirming, trauma-informed interventions and models of care that promote well-being and resilience.
The book was released September 28, 2022 and is based on work done in San Diego County. We’ll hear about the book from an insider’s point of view from our own Shulamit Ritblatt, PhD and her colleague and co-author Audrey Hokoda, PhD.
Collaboratives in San Diego County -- Is There One Near Your School District?
Date: October 21, 2022
Speaker
Imperial Beach Collaborative - John Griffin-Atil; East Region Collaborative Network - David Shorey; Lakeside Collaborative - Seraphina Eberhardt; Carlsbad Collaborative - Rosemary Eshelman
Venue
Description
In Spring 2022 we heard from Carol Lewis, Director of the El Cajon Collaborative. She introduced us to the history of collaboratives in San Diego County and shared some of the services provided by the El Cajon Collaborative. At this meeting we’ll expand our view of collaboratives in other areas of the county.
Back to School -- For Real!
Date: September 16, 2022
Speaker
Shulamit Natan Ritblatt, PhD, Professor Emerita in the Department of Child and Family Development at San Diego State University; Founder and CEO of delibrainy LLC
Venue
Description
Time for discussion, sharing and questions among ourselves. How is back to real school going for your families? Any new challenges? What are your peers and colleagues doing and encountering? Come and participate in a discussion led by our own Shulamit Ritblatt, Ph.D.
What Over 500 Family-Facing Professionals are Saying
Date: May 20, 2022
Speaker
Margaret Caspe and Shulamit Ritblatt
Venue
Description
Last fall, the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) surveyed over 500 family liaisons, state leaders, and educators to understand what competencies are most important for family-facing professionals to learn and develop. Join us for a conversation about what we heard from the field. We will share how the survey findings, along with other data, are being applied to upcoming reports and projects designed to reimagine how educators are prepared for family and community engagement. We’ll also explore ways your communities can get involved.
Margaret Caspe is Senior Research Consultant at NAFSCE
Shulamit Ritblatt is Professor Emerita, Founder and CEO of delibrainy LLC
A Dream, A Calling - From Local to Global: The Jerrie Ueberle Story
Date: April 8, 2022
Speaker
Jerrie Ueberle, Founder and President, Global Interactions, Inc.
Venue
Description
Jerrie Ueberle is the founder and president of Global Interactions, Inc., a Phoenix-based non-profit corporation focused on increasing worldwide communication and understanding among U.S. professionals and their international counterparts. In 2009 she founded the World Academy for the Future of Women (WAFW), an extra-curricular university level program created to advance and accelerate women’s leadership worldwide. WAFW is housed on the campus of Sias University in Zhengzhou, China and is now in its 23rd year of operation. In 2017 Jerrie opened a WAFW program in Nepal and in 2018 she opened a third one in Bangladesh. Ms. Ueberle’s non-profit, Global Interactions, recently achieved consultancy status with the United Nations.
http://www.gnsd.org/jerrie-ueberle-usa.html
“Attending this presentation could impact the rest of your life. It did mine.” – Carol Dickson
Let’s Hear From the Local View: YOU!
Date: March 18, 2022
Speaker
Carol Dickson
Venue
Description
—-THIS EVENT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES. WE APOLOGIZE.—-
What are you seeing in your corner of the family engagement world? What’s on your mind? Your heart? What are your concerns? Your thankfulnesses? How can we best support each other?
Come prepared to hear from your colleagues what each of them is seeing from their individual boots-on-the-ground vantage point. Come and share what’s on your family engagement heart.
Facilitated by: Carol Dickson
Retired Consultant, California Department of Education
Co-founder Friday CAFE, San Diego Chapter
What Has the Pandemic Taught Us About the Home-School Relationship?
Date: February 11, 2022
Speaker
Venue
Description
What has the pandemic taught us about the home-school relationship?
Schools that excelled at family engagement were better prepared to confront the pandemic. Why is that the case? And what makes for a strong family engagement practice?
We’ll look at data from Learning Heroes and the Dual Capacity-Building Framework to start a conversation on what we’ve learned from the pandemic.
Eyal Bergman
Senior Vice President, Learning Heroes
Co-founder Friday CAFE, San Diego Chapter
Collaboratives in San Diego County Featuring The El Cajon Collaborative With Carol Lewis
Date: January 21, 2022
Speaker
Carol Lewis, Program and Property Manager of the El Cajon Collaborative
Venue
Zoom
Description
For over 25 years the El Cajon Collaborative, part of a system of Collaboratives in San Diego County, has brought together members of the community, providers, and other stakeholders to collaborate, inform, and promote programs, activities and resources in the local community.
Join us to learn how this support system operates.
We encourage you to connect with your own local collaborative.
Carol Lewis is the Program and Property Manager of the El Cajon Collaborative
Based at Little House Family Resources, 131 Avocado Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
Office: 619-447-4380 Cell: 619-847-7801
National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE)
Date: December 10, 2021
Speaker
Ann Bohman, NAFSCE Ambassador
Venue
Zoom
Description
Want a Holiday gift idea? Give a gift of NAFSCE membership!
This is your professional association!
The National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) is the FIRST membership association focused solely on advancing family, school, and community engagement to promote child development and improve student achievement. Join us to learn more about our programs, policy work, and resources!
Presented By:
Ann Bohman, NAFSCE Ambassador
President, FAMILIES ARE IMPORTANT LLC
614-530-9094; ABohman001@columbus.rr.com
Retired Educational Consultant for the Ohio Department of Education, Office of Federal Programs-Working with all the entitlement programs, specializing in Parent Involvement (now known as Family Engagement). Over 30 years in Education, teaching at the high school and college levels.
California State PTA Update
Date: November 19, 2021
Speaker
Venue
Description
Carol Green, President CAPTA
Colleen Hervey, Member Board of Managers, CAPTA
Derby Pattengill, Vice President for Health and Community Concerns, CAPTA
College Level Support Programs
Date: October 15, 2021
Speaker
Venue
Description
College level support programs are vital for the successful college transition of first generation college and low income students. Learn about the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) program and other support programs offered at community colleges.
Lillian A. Garcia, M.A., Director, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
(619)388-3246 lgarcia002@sdccd.edu sdcity.edu
Back in Person, Back to School: Together and Reconnecting
Date: September 17, 2021
Speaker
Facilitator: Jacqueline “Kiki” Bispo, Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Network Lead, Innovation Dept., Vista Unified School Dist., Vista, CA
Venue
Zoom meeting courtesy of the San Diego County Office of Education Multilingual Education and Global Achievement (MEGA) Department and its staff members: Christina Parodi Araya, Parent/Family Liaison, and Elizabeth Campos, Administrative Assistant.
Description
Round table of ideas, strategies and resources from family engagement staff across San Diego County school districts.
Facilitator: Jacqueline “Kiki” Bispo, Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Network Lead, Innovation Dept., Vista Unified School Dist., Vista, CA
Cultural Competency, a View from the Parent Institute of Quality Education (PIQE)
Date: May 21, 2021
Speaker
Carmen Russian, Executive Director, PIQE, San Diego County; Alejandro Garcia, Associate Director, PIQE, San Diego County
Venue
Zoom meeting courtesy of the San Diego County Office of Education Multilingual Education and Global Achievement (MEGA) Department and its staff members: Christina Parodi Araya, Parent/Family Liaison, and Elizabeth Campos, Administrative Assistant.
Description
Cultural Competency in parent engagement is vital to maximize the inherent
capacity of families in diverse communities to actively engage in their children’s
education. How do schools tell “single stories”—or no story at all—about
different groups of families and students? Learn how PIQE strives to make a
person-to-person connection with parents/caregivers and develop new skills in a
safe, nurturing, and respectful environment.
Carmen Russian
Executive Director
Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)
San Diego County
O: 619.420.4730 | M: 619.517.2127
www.PIQE.org
"Social Movements in the United States"
Date: April 16, 2021
Speaker
Jacqueline "Kiki" Bispo, Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Network Lead, Innovation Dept., Vista Unified School Dist., Vista, CA
Venue
Zoom meeting courtesy of the San Diego County Office of Education Multilingual Education and Global Achievement (MEGA) Department and its staff members: Christina Parodi Araya, Parent/Family Liaison, and Elizabeth Campos, Administrative Assistant.
Description
Social movements in the U.S. – historically and in the present – have existed to fight for the rights of the disenfranchised, notably: immigrants/workers/students/women/LGBTQ+/poor people/those. They also exist for people to use their voice and come together for related passions: against war, violence, racism, and inequality. Join us to learn more about some of these movements, how they’ve impacted today’s world, and discuss where we go from here.
Conversation with Nancy Cline, West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE)
Date: March 19, 2021
Speaker
Nancy Cline, M.S.Ed., Coordinator, West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE)
Venue
Zoom meeting courtesy of the San Diego County Office of Education Multilingual Education and Global Achievement (MEGA) Department and its staff members: Christina Parodi Araya, Parent/Family Liaison, and Elizabeth Campos, Administrative Assistant.
Description
A-Ha Moments!
Per the Zoom meeting chat log, despite the pandemic and virtual learning participants are cheerful, hopeful, upbeat and remarkably positive.
Participants enjoyed conversing with each other so much during the meeting that afterwards 6-8 people continued the conversation with Nancy for half an hour after the meeting had ended.
Nancy: We have to stop doing All Calls to all parents. Create separate groups: seniors, freshman, special education, football, etc. so that people get messages tailored to their situation and interests.
Nancy recommended reading the book Nudge by Dr. Richard Thaler (it’s about behavioral economics) and applying it to family engagement.
"The History of Education"
Date: February 19, 2021
Speaker
Jacqueline "Kiki" Bispo, Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Network Lead, Innovation Department, Vista Unified School District, Vista, CA
Venue
Zoom meeting courtesy of the San Diego County Office of Education Multilingual Education and Global Achievement (MEGA) Department and its staff members: Christina Parodi Araya, Parent/Family Liaison, and Elizabeth Campos, Administrative Assistant.
Description
A detailed and informative walk through education as we know it in the United States, how we got to where we are now and programs that have become major educational funders.
A-Ha Moments!
There’s a lot to the back story that we don’t often think of or take into account.
How We Engage and Support Families and Children and Help Them Stay Connected with the School
Date: May 15, 2020
Speaker
Shulamit Ritblatt, Ph.D., Director, Center for Family, School and Community Engagement, San Diego State University College of Education
Venue
Zoom: CLICK HERE
Hosted by the Center for Family, School and Community Engagement, San Diego State University College of Education
Description
Shulamit Ritblatt is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting to discuss how we engage and support families and children and help them to stay connected with the school. Some of the questions/interests other Family Engagement Liaisons are pointing out: What other liaisons are working and doing their jobs when schools are closed? How have family engagement liaisons created a healthy, helpful shift in their position without seeming aggressive to administrators who want to move slowly and carefully during this time? What resources can we offer our families and how can we guide them to access these resources? How can we support each other? Looking forward to seeing you soon. Please feel free to invite other family engagement professionals to join us.
Voices from the Field
Date: December 1, 2017
Speaker
Community Panel
Venue
Bread & Salt
1955 Julian Ave, San Diego, CA 92113
Description
Hear from a panel of parent/guardian leaders who will share how they became involved and remained active in their school’s/organization’s family engagement program. The discussion will include successes, challenges, and how they overcame them. It will conclude with an interactive activity!
This session will be hosted at Bread & Salt, an experimental center for the arts with strong community ties in historic Barrio Logan.
Mindfulness in family engagement... along the water in Mission Bay
Date: November 4, 2017
Speaker
Venue
By shores of Mission Bay 🙂
Description
Family engagement can be rewarding yet consuming work. In order to serve families well, we must first make sure we are taking care of ourselves and supporting our own families. How do we find that healthy balance? Our first session of 17-18 will introduce mindfullness practices in one of San Diego’s most cherished spaces.
We will be outdoors for this session, in an easily accessible location along the bay. The exact location will be shared one week before the event.
Exploring African American History in San Diego County
Date: April 7, 2017
Speaker
Old Town Community Church
Venue
Oftentimes the contributions of African Americans in shaping the fabric of San Diego goes unrecognized. When people know they have an influential place in history, it creates a greater sense of belonging and self pride. We know that everyone benefits from learning about other people’s history. We as practitioners working with families have an obligation to foster that sense of belonging and inclusiveness of all families in the work we do.
The Intersection of Restorative Practice & Family Engagement
Date: March 3, 2017
Speaker
Cynthia Burton, Momentum Learning
Venue
Valencia Park / Malcolm X Branch Library
5148 Market Street
San Diego, CA 92114
Description
“Restorative practices” are in style these days. But what does it really mean to seek restoration through pract
Kitchenistas: A Peer-to-Peer Approach to Family Engagement
Date: February 3, 2017
Speaker
Venue
Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center
Description
Families are more likely to participate in school communities when they are engaged by people with similar life experiences. In this session, we’ll learn from the Kitchenistas of National City, a group of dedicated community leaders that organize to confront health crises in their community. They’ll share their peer-to-peer engagement techniques, including a special cooking demonstration!
A FREE tour of Olivewood will follow the session.
