​Building the capacity of staff and school systems to deliver trauma-informed equity-oriented supports to students and families is a core component of our mission at All-In! Our Unconditional Education (UE) Training Team is made up of more than forty Seneca staff who offer their passion and experience to teachers, school staff, and parents by leading professional development sessions and workshops. So far in the 2019-20 school year, Seneca staff have provided over 70 trainings at partner schools and organizations across the Bay Area, in addition to a number of trainings staff have led in Los Angeles, Washington state, and New Orleans.
 
We recently collected 26 responses from our Professional Development Trainer Survey to gather input and feedback from our UE Training Team where respondents shared highlights as well as recommendations for how we can bolster the trainings we offer. Many of the trainers expressed their appreciation of facilitating and creating brave learning spaces that tied in the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to build community with school leaders. Moreover others noted that we have a lot more work to do in integrating DEI thoroughly throughout our content offerings so this will be a key area of focus and action beginning this spring.

​The Trauma Responsive Educational Practices Project based at the University of Chicago has an inspiring framework that outlines the needs for this type of integration and valuable resources to offer individuals and schools. With much respect and appreciation to our UE Trainers who put in above-and-beyond effort to lead trainings in addition to all the other tasks they hold in their roles, we look forward to building more community among our team and working to enhance program based on the valuable feedback we gathered. 

Montalvin Manor is a k-8th grade school in the West Contra Costa unified school district. Montalvin Manor is located in San Pablo/ Richmond border and is centered in a residential area, giving the school a small-town feel. Montalvin Manor strives to provide a stimulating learning environment and is a in partnership with our Unconditional Education model, that works towards building capacity to create a positive and inclusive environment for all students to succeed. “Montalvin Manor seeks to develop the student’s maturity and self-esteem and character to enable them to be successful in their academics and their private at Montalvin Manor and beyond by incorporating our core values in every aspect of our student’s education (Montalvin Manor Elementary School).”

• Community - working together, being inclusive and non-biased, and taking care of one another
• Compassion – caring for another, developing empathy, and no bullying
• Curiosity – joy of learning, exploration, and urgency for more knowledge
• Courage – trying new things, standing up for what’s right, and owning up for your actions 
• Grit – do you best while learning from your mistakes, finish what you start, and never give up

​These core values help staff and students reach the full potential here at Montalvin Manor. 

Community is seen as parents that are apart of the PTA put on luncheons to give back to the staff. The upper grades work together to ensure the community is eco - friendly and recycles. We hold weekly team meetings to increase our education around ways to increase engagement in core values and our understanding of the unconditional education model.
Compassion is seen on compass when teachers try to understand student’s back grounds and how they can best support the student to overcome their personal struggles to thrive at school.  Students show compassion by making sure hurt peers are okay and are willing to walk hurt friends to the office. Students also engage in tools like the peace path to resolve conflicts and to ensure everyone involved had a chance to be heard.

Curiosity is seen all around the campus when kids are excited about learning and ask questions to improve their knowledge. Curiosity is demonstrated within the cost process as they take time to understand what the underlying factors around students’ behaviors instead of defaulting to punitive approaches.

Courage is seen when students and staff try new things that maybe be unfamiliar or difficult to best benefit the campus. Courage is seen in every classroom as the students try to gain knowledge and try their best to understand new lesson.
Grit is seen around the whole campus. As we strive to be better as a whole and continuously meet to make sure things that are not working are improved to benefit the whole campus. We teach are students to learn from their mistakes and not to give up.

​As a partnership with the Unconditional Education model, we continue to collaborate with Montalvin Manor Elementary school to support students and teachers.  

​Our program had the opportunity to expand our partnerships in Oakland Unified School District this year in collaboration with Alameda County Behavioral Health. One new partnership we established is at Burckhalter Elementary School where we’ve been providing Tier 3 mental health and behavioral support since August 2019.
 
Burckhalter is located on a beautiful campus in East Oakland where students are supported to thrive in academics, arts, after-school programs, and community connections. The school benefits from the strong, experienced leadership of Principal Geathers and a well-established Coordination of Services Team led by Ms. Mac that works to make sure student support needs are effectively met.  

Burckhalter is located on a beautiful campus in East Oakland where students are supported to thrive in academics, arts, after-school programs, and community connections. The school benefits from the strong, experienced leadership of Principal Geathers and a well-established Coordination of Services Team led by Ms. Mac that works to make sure student support needs are effectively met.  ​

Seneca staff Johndalyn Armstrong has been at Burckhalter since the beginning of our partnership there. Johndalyn has done great work building relationships with students, families, and school staff.  In early February, we were excited to welcome Rachel Most to join the team as she returned from her maternity leave.  We’re looking forward to finishing this school year strong - continuing to provide the best possible care to the students and families on our caseload and to have a positive impact on the school culture at large - and to continue deepening and enhancing our Burckhalter-Seneca partnership as we move into the future.