Reimagine SEL

Panelists:

Athea Davis, M.Ed., ERYT, RCYT is the Director of Social Emotional Learning and After School Mindfulness Educator at the Etoile Academy Charter School network in Houston, TX. She’s the author of Today’s Gonna Be Awesomesauce: Daily Meditations for Youth, Parents & Families; host of the education podcast Mind Declutter with Athea Davis; the Events Coordinator for Professional Learning and Development for the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully; a founding member of the Human Intelligence Movement; and a regular writer and contributor to School Rubric. To learn more and follow Athea’s work visit her website: www.atheadavis.com
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Dr. Timothy Dohrer, Ph.D. has been a classroom teacher, administrator, and author for 35 years in K12 schools and higher education. He was a teacher and Principal at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, a school of 4,000 students and staff. He has also served as a Director and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University. Tim's major areas of research include social & emotional learning, school climate, curriculum and instruction, teacher education, and leadership. He is the President of the SEL4IL Alliance, and a member of several advisory boards. He has B.A.'s in English and Journalism from Indiana University, an M.A. in English from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Pennsylvania State University. His recent best-selling book is The Schools We Need Now: A Guide to Designing a Mentally Healthy School, from Corwin Press.

Damien Howard, M.Div. has two decades of experience as an educator in urban school settings. His entrepreneurial and mission-driven heart propels him to lead transformative change in urban schools. As the founder of SEL-Plus, Damien leads a team of mentors, educators, and parents who serve schools across the nation. His team is exploring the use of AI technology to enhance collaboration and personalized learning in K-12 education with an emphasis on social and emotional development for students and adults. Damien lives in Chicago with his wife, Sharial, and their daughter, Gabrielle.
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Moderator:

Margot Toppen is a whole child wellness and ed tech leader, program & partnership developer, and dynamic communicator with 15+ years of experience leading innovative work in the field of social and emotional learning. Margot was the founder of Dancing with Class, which served hundreds of Chicago-area schools each year. This paved the way for the development and launch of EduMotion: SEL Journeys, a digital product that delivers an SEL-themed movement curriculum inspired by world cultures, and was later acquired by CATCH Global Foundation. Margot is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media & Integrated Marketing Communications as well as the Kellogg School of Management’s non-profit executive program, with a focus on innovation and leadership.