ISBE School Wellness Conference

Today's students are navigating unprecedented levels of anxiety, disconnection, and dependence. Yet, they are also creative, compassionate, and full of potential. Drawing on key ideas from The Anxious Generation, The Amazing Generation, and Let Grow, this session explores how schools can intentionally balance connection, independence, and belonging to better support student well-being and growth. 


Participants will examine how overprotection, reduced autonomy, and limited opportunities for meaningful responsibility impact student resilience and how relationship-centered, SEL practices can reverse these trends. Through reflection, discussion, and practical examples, educators will learn how to create environments that empower students take healthy risks, build confidence, and develop essential life skills, while maintaining strong, supportive relationships. 


Participants will leave with an understanding of how current social, emotional, and environmental factors contribute to mental health disorders, strategies for fostering independence, resilience, and confidence through connection, and practical ways to elevate students' capacity to grow in academic AND essential life skills.

Explore the SEL and Well-being framework developed from a CASEL Fellows Capstone project. Reflect on the CASEL 5 competencies and core ideas of self-awareness (identity), self-management (agency), social awareness (belonging), relationship skills (collaborative problem-solving), and responsible decision making (curiosity). Consider areas of strength and growth of these concepts and how a deeper understanding of the SEL competencies can support well-being. This session is interactive with individual reflection, small and large group discussion. 

Transform your educational environment through Farm to School integration that connects students to local food systems across the entire school campus. Join ISBE and Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom to learn more about what Farm to School is and explore strategies and resources for implementing agricultural literacy through standards-based, cross-curricular classroom lessons, books, videos and more!

Join student athletes, Ary & Milan Bansal, as they share their perspectives as high school students juggling sports, academics, clubs, and school work. Through their grassroots efforts, these students have identified ways to strengthen the school-to-home connection, fostering a community of teachers, social workers, students, athletes, and community partners focused on supporting and promoting messages of  positive mental and physical health, along with balanced academics and extra curricular activities. P.A.S.S. (Peer Athlete Student Scholars) program -a grassroots initiative started in 2023- seeks to grow its impact, spreading the powerful message of peer-to-peer support and teamwork, encouraging overall excellence and balanced well being and positivity for students. Key questions answered: What do students need today to feel successful? How can they best be supported? How do you encourage students to take advantage of existing student wellness resources in school? How do we leverage community partners to meet kids where they are at and provide much needed support, encouragement, and positivity to school activities and academics? How do we mobilize parents and engage our audience better? Attendees receive a tool kit to implement the P.A.S.S. program in their schools. 

1. Since its inception in Dec 2023, P.A.S.S. has supported over 500 hours of free study groups and tutoring hours, mentored hundreds of students, recruited local community partners, participated in local charity events, and supported measurable outcomes for students that include academic growth, positive role modeling, and stronger school engagement at Hinsdale Central. These outcomes include improved grade performance in core content subjects, study skills clinics and final exam prep sessions offered twice a year, recruitment of over 50 volunteer tutors, and countless parent and student reviews on how peer-to-peer support can be a powerful way to engage students.
2. The P.A.S.S. program is simple: by harnessing the power of peer-to-peer relationships, P.A.S.S. Volunteers are able to serve as role models, friends, study buddies, and mentors for other students in the community and build and strengthen relationships between teachers, social workers, students, coaches, school leadership, PTO, and classes. Who better to support students stressed and overwhelmed in school, feeling lonely, then other students? “When we work together, we excel together” is our motto. The program brings support models to the frontlines-when students need it most: after school, evenings and weekends, before school, and even during the school day and ensures stronger lines of communication between staff, teachers, coaches, and parents and students.  This program can easily be replicated in any school throughout Illinois. P.A.S.S. showcases how school staff and administrators, social workers, clubs, students, and local libraries and community centers can come together to foster change, empower students, and  encourage positive role models and support for student health, well being, and academics. Catch the P.A.S.S. today!