Community Spotlight:

ECELA- Engaging California English Learners Through the Arts

See, wonder, think. Join a drum circle. Choreograph your name. Engage in self and social awareness. Lead an emotional orchestra. These are just some of the engaging strategies our participants have learned through the ECELA Project. What is even more powerful is how the amazing educators at Inglewood Unified School District, Rosemead School District, and Los Banos Unified District have been modeling these strategies with their students- boosting students' confidence, while providing rich opportunities to connect language and art across content areas.

The Engage California! English Learners Through the Arts (ECELA) Project provides research and evidence-based professional learning that integrates arts in the content areas with strategies that increase literacy for English Learners (ELs), and support Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Through engaging teaching artists, scaffolded professional learning, rich collaboration, and shared experiences, ECELA has been sprinkling seeds and communities are blossoming.

ECELA is an exemplary model of the power of collective impact community partnerships- public schools, district offices, universities, performing arts organizations, county education staff, and statewide collaboration. Our school district partners will continue this art-filled and content-connected journey with our innovative and engaging partnerships, embarking on a musical experience this 2024-2025 school year, designed to braid language, the arts, and SEL. A huge congratulations to our district partners and the entire ECELA team for starting the year with joyful learning experiences!

Connect: Upcoming Events

February 5, 2025: L.A. County Poetry Out Loud Celebration Info Here

April 4, 2025: TeachStar Online Academy Spring Session Deadline

Reflect: Take a mindful minute to restore your senses and renew your soul!

"SPREAD LOVE Everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving Happier."

Mother Teresa

Brain Break: Six-Word Story

Take a minute to think about how you are doing. Craft a six-word story:

Taking it slowly, gently, with kindness.
Embracing the world, shining and thriving.
It's just one of those days...

SELf Care: CDOL invites you to take a minute to pause, breathe, and practice some SEL strategies!

Click on the links below for some sparks of joyful engagement!

Engage in a soundbath , send some kind thoughts, and sing along with the Family Madrigal!

Take time to bring joy to someone...What will that look like for you?

Inclusive Practices: Supports and Resources for Your Learning Communities

Inspiring Students: 4 Ways to Leverage Emotions for Learning
Classroom Support: 7 Self-Care Stragtegies for Teachers
Strategies for Administrators: Mindfulness Practices for Administrators
Engaging Families: Hope and Justice
Supporting SELf Care: Action for Happiness

Take moments of time to renew and restore yourself and make your soul happy !

Inspiring Students:

4 Ways to Leverage Emotions for Learning

Nearly every educator will tell you that teaching is an inherently emotional career. Students and teachers navigate challenges, celebrate victories, and form unique bonds and complex relationships during their time together in the classroom. Research shows that teachers’ and students’ emotions can play off of each another, a process termed classroom emotional transmission. Read more about some approaches that can help create an emotionally responsive classroom where all individuals' emotions are honored and validated.

Classroom Support:

Now that the school year is mid-way through, what are some strategies that teachers can use to restore and renew? Whether it's battling the LA County fires, traffic, day to day busy schedules, 7 Self-Care Strategies for Teachers provides quick attainable strategies that helps educators to be conscious of self-care. Taking a walk, staying in community with your colleagues, or partaking in movement are all helpful ways of keeping yourself energized and renewed. Explore further how these strategies may provide you with comfort, grounding, and calm. As educators, we are always on the go, but sometimes we may just need to take a "pause" to provide ourselves with the grace of time. Check out Alex Venet's self-care strategies. Start your own Self-Care journey!

7 Self-Care Strategies for Teachers

"Improving teachers' work-related mental health requires a commitment to transforming their workplace culture." Check out the article, 8 Ways to Create a Supportive Work Environment for Teachers, as it delves into steps on how to create a safe and supportive work environment for teachers.

8 Ways to Create a Supportive Work Environment for Teachers

Strategies for Administrators

Traffic duty, teacher/substitute scheduling, monitoring breakfast, parent meetings, the day to day duties of an educational leader can become overwhelming. "School leaders can benefit from mindfulness practices such as breaking ruminative loops in thinking in order to leave work at work." The following article Mindfulness Practices for Administrators, explores ways in which administrators can provide the space and time for themselves and creating that balance between work and home life.

Mindfulness Practices for Administrators

How Administrators can Avoid Burnout

Engaging Families

Youth Creating Change holds film and art contests for young people to learn about the topics of suicide prevention, mental health, social justice and more. By creating short films, written works, and art projects, youth can communicate positive messages to peers and adults in their community to inspire them to take action. Plus there is a chance to win cash prizes and gift cards!

There are two contests available for youth to participate in:

Monthly Hope and Justice Art and Film Contest (entries accepted on a monthly basis and are due the last day of the month at midnight). All formats accepted: visual art, films, poetry, original song, PSAs, spoken word, TikToks and more! Youth can submit to the Hope, Justice, or a monthly prompt that changes every month. Sometimes there are also special challenges! Win up to $300 in Amazon gift cards!

Annual Film Contest (entries are due March 1 every year). Multiple submission categories for 30-second and 60-second films focused on mental health and suicide prevention topics. Through creating a film, youth can learn the warning signs for suicide, and how to help a friend, understand mental health, learn healthy coping skills and more. Plus a chance to win up to $1000 in cash prizes and be recognized at a statewide red carpet award ceremony!

Supporting SELf Care

As we navigate the school year, SELf care can become an afterthought. Whether you are looking at a January filled with happiness or a friendly February, remember to give yourself the care you deserve.

Take what you need from these daily actions that will help you fill your month with some mindful practices. Share with colleagues...make it your own...post in your lounge to create an environment to support wellness and SEL.

January Action For Happiness

February Action For Happiness