Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community: From Student Voice Through Wraparound Services

Thursday February 6, 2020
2:15 - 3:00 PM
A313/314

*VIDEO NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS SESSION*

What happens when early warning systems point to barriers outside of the school’s control? How do teachers, principals, and school districts address issues of transiency, family changes, poverty, trauma, immigration, addiction, mental, emotional, social, and physical health? Teachers, principals, and more importantly, students, know external factors get in the way of student learning, but don't know what to do about them. In this session, you will learn how schools and districts are leveraging community partnerships, as well as, state and federal resources, to holistically meet the family, social & emotional, and academic needs of their students. By empowering the voice of students and coaching districts on how to provide students and families with integrated and coordinated wraparound services, Leigh Colburn and The Centergy Project are revolutionizing student support within the public education system.

Presenters
Leigh Colburn

Leigh Colburn pioneered the embedded wraparound concept in mid-2015 at Marietta High School—a school in the Metro Atlanta area—when she stepped down as principal to open the Graduate Marietta Student Success Center (now known as the Student Life Center). Leigh’s devotion to student voice along with her innovative approach to community partnerships resulted in ten re-purposed classrooms within the school serving as the hub for a variety of opportunities and services, from care closets and mental health therapy to yoga classes and military recruiting. The Center instantly became the focus of media and educational attention, with over 200 tours for agencies, policymakers, and school districts during the first 2 years. The Georgia Charter Foundation named the Center the 2016 Innovation of the Year and Leigh became a sought-after speaker and advisor. What began as a strategy to boost graduation rates quickly transformed into a movement to mobilize communities to address barriers students face and build a culture of hope. In June of 2017, Leigh officially retired to begin a consultancy The Centergy Project—a wraparound initiative. The wraparound concept has taken root in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Education engaged Leigh and her business partner, Linda Beggs, to train 16 regional wraparound specialists in The Centergy Cycle® . Leigh Colburn and Linda Beggs have also worked with school districts in Virginia, Alabama, and Illinois. Of late, Leigh Colburn and Linda Beggs have been asked to submit a book proposal to Solution Tree for a book to be published in 2020. At the time of this proposal submission, the first chapters of the book have been submitted.

Type:
Lecture
Theme:
leadership
Audience:
building leaders
Categories:
school climate culture, parent family community engagement, well rounded education