UC/CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning

Behavioral & Mental Health in K-12 learning track: Dr. Laura McMullin, UC Los Angeles; Dr. Maria Jimenez-Salazar, UC San Francisco; Dr. Tiffany Herbert, CSU Dominguez Hills. Below are brief summaries of all three presentations:

Dr. McMullin’s presentation discusses equipping pre-service teachers with trauma informed principles and practices, and how that is a necessity in order to prepare educators to better serve the needs of their students and maintain their own wellbeing in the process.

Dr. Jimenez-Salazar’s session will provide an overview of how diverse childhood migration experiences relate to immigrant-origin youths’ sense of safety, school attendance, and behavioral health. Attendees are invited to discuss the unique challenges they face and what they are finding helpful in supporting the development and success of newcomer learners.

Dr. Herbert’s session will define mental health supports and discuss strategies for providing mental health support for neurodiverse students. It will engage the audience to share their collective experiences supporting students and connect experiences to the mental health support framework.

Visit our website: https://bit.ly/4hPE5aT

We’d like to introduce the amazing speakers presenting at our event from our Self-Regulation & Adolescent Development learning track, Emily Underwood, Knowable; Dr. Agatha Lenartowicz, UC Los Angeles; Dr. Jennie Grammer, UC Los Angeles; Zoe Mao, UC Los Angeles; Kyle Hay, UC Los Angeles; Dr. Angela James, UC Los Angeles. Below are brief summaries of all three presentations:

Join Knowable Magazine editor Emily Underwood and UCLA cognitive neuroscientist Agatha Lenartowicz for a conversation about the metaphors often used to explain executive function — for example, the brain’s “air traffic control system” or “CEO.” How well do these metaphors reflect our evolving understanding of executive function? Where do they fall short? Come for a primer on the neuroscience of executive function — and stay for a multi-disciplinary discussion of how these concepts translate to the classroom.

Dr. Jennie Grammer, Zoe Mao, and Kyle Hay’s presentation will analyze how executive functions and self-regulation play a central role in students’ academic growth, and what those skills look like in the classroom. Using real-world examples, in this interactive session we will discuss the connections between research on EF and classroom behavior, as well as opportunities for supporting educator understanding of these important processes.

Dr. Angela James’ presentation will explore issues and challenges related to delivery of educational services to incarcerated youth, and provide an overview of a statewide survey of court schools and what we hope to learn from the results.

To attend our event, register at: bit.ly/3MYTVBP

We’d like to introduce the amazing speakers presenting at our event from our Language & Literacy Development Among Multilingual Children learning track, Dr. Ashley Sanabria, San Diego State University; Dr. Tanya Flushman, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo; and Dr. Judith Kroll, University of California, Irvine. Below are brief summaries of all three presentations:

Dr. Sanabria’s presentation will explore descriptive information about the types of literacy learning opportunities bilingual children have, how they compare to monolingual children's literacy learning opportunities, and whether literacy learning outcomes are different when bilingual children are placed in dual language vs. English-only contexts.

In Dr. Flushman’s presentation, participants will learn about the innovative and promising assessment practices that CSU credential programs are implementing in alignment with SB 488 requirements. The focus will be on how programs are ensuring that teacher candidates have opportunities to learn, practice and be assessed on key literacy teaching practices while in their clinical practice placements.

Dr. Kroll’s talk will illustrate the ways that recent studies show that minds and brains of multilingual learners are inherently complex and social, reflecting the variation in contexts in which the two or more languages are learned and used, and producing resilience across the lifespan.

To attend our event, register at: bit.ly/3MYTVBP

Meet Dr. Maryanne Wolf, Co-Faculty Director for the UC|CSU Collaborative’s Literacy & Dyslexia Taskforce. Dr. Wolf is an advocate for children and literacy around the world, has received the highest honors from the International Dyslexia Association, and recently was appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Wolf shared why reading and literacy is important to her — why is it important to you? Let us know in the comments below!

The UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning is hosting our annual summit on Monday, November 18, 2024. This year’s theme is Bridging Research, Practice, and Policy to Improve Educational Opportunities.

Come see our two Keynote Speakers — Kristin Wright (Executive Director, Prevention and Intervention at Sacramento County Office of Education) and Dr. Dean Tagawa (Executive Director for the Early Childhood Education Division, LAUSD) — present at our event!

For more details, visit: bit.ly/4eSXeXt

Save the Date! — We're hosting our annual summit on Monday, November 18, 2024. Highlights include four learning tracks featuring experts from across California and beyond:

1. Language & Literacy Development Among Multilingual Children
2. Executive Function and Self-Regulation in Adolescence
3. The Impact of Behavioral & Mental Health on Childhood Outcomes
4. Supporting Neurodiverse Children as They Transition to School

Click here to receive event updates: https://forms.gle/745jJV6WuQ8wUDqM6

“This program has given me a chance to practice self-advocacy, standing up for other people, and by extension, the greater good.” — Student Ambassador, 2023-2024 Cohort

With the 2024 fall school year beginning, many educators are searching for educational opportunities with which to provide their students. Our Student Ambassador Program uplifts the voices of neurodiverse learners, and lets them know they’re being heard and can make a difference. With the conclusion of our successful first cohort of the Student Ambassador Program, we’ve opened applications for our 2024-2025 cohort. For more information, email us at [email protected].

APPLY BY SEPTEMBER 12 to: https://bit.ly/CollabSAP

Here at the UC|CSU Collaborative, we're celebrating the power that young people have to drive change and create a sustainable future. We help support and uplift their power through our Student Ambassador Program and Education Policy Initiative internship, where we make sure that student voices are heard.

Don’t forget to apply by SEPTEMBER 5 to be a Student Ambassador this fall: https://bit.ly/CollabSAP

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With the 2024 fall school year beginning, many educators are searching for educational opportunities to provide their students with. Our Student Ambassador Program uplifts the voices of neurodiverse learners, and lets them know they’re being heard and can make a difference. With the conclusion of our successful first cohort of the Student Ambassador Program, we’ve opened applications for our 2024-2025 cohort. For more information, email us at [email protected].

Apply by September 5th to: https://bit.ly/CollabSAP

Olympic athlete Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast in history, has ADHD — as do many other Olympic athletes. In fact, research shows that ADHD is more common in elite athletes than the general population, with up to 8% of elite athletes being diagnosed. Many athletes with ADHD have said that playing sports has allowed them an outlet and the ability to leverage the aforementioned superpowers mentioned by Biles that come with ADHD, such as hyperfixation, which can help with quick decision-making and blocking out distractions.

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Acclaimed actor Orlando Bloom has spoken about his experience growing up with dyslexia. He found his calling in high school while performing on stage, where he felt more focused than he did anywhere else. Later, in drama school, a professor taught him a lesson that stuck with him — the most important part when acting isn’t necessarily reciting the lines perfectly, but nailing the thoughts and emotions that come with them. In fact, the class wasn’t even allowed to recite the text. This allowed him the space to let his creativity inform his acting rather than the anxiety of remembering his lines perfectly.

When asked what advice he would give to adults who have or teach children with dyslexia he said: “The greatest gift you can give them is the sense that nothing is unattainable.”

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