Summit Schools hosting virtual discussion Thursday on social emotional learning

CEDAR RAPIDS — Summit Schools will host “Social Emotional Learning: What it is and why it matters,” a virtual panel discussion on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on Summit’s Facebook Live and YouTube pages. The panelists will include Philippe Ernewein (Denver Academy), Dr. Byron McClure (founder of Lessons for SEL), and Dr. Kari Vogelgesang (the University of Iowa). This is part of the "Summit Series" of free, informative events concerning education, and all community members are invited to attend.

“The importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) cannot be overstated,” said Paul Pressler, Summit’s Principal/Head of Schools. “It is through this intentional curriculum both children and adults are able to better understand their emotions, become self-aware, and develop empathy for others. Summit is very intentional in the methods and techniques used in our whole-child education and SEL is at the center.”

Ernewein is the Director of Education at Denver Academy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages from Longwood College and Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Colorado. He is an alumnus of Teach For America. Ernewein is Board Chair of Celebrate EDU, committed to creating a bright future for young adults with developmental disabilities and diverse learning profiles. He is also a consultant for Words Beyond Bars.

McClure is a National Certified School Psychologist and Founder of Lessons For SEL, where he uses research, human-centered design thinking to build empathy, ideate, co-create solutions, and design equitable resources that put the needs of children front and center. He formerly served as the Assistant Director of School Redesign at a high school in Southeast, D.C., where he was responsible for leading and reimagining what Social Emotional Learning looked like within an inner-city community.

Vogelgesang is a Clinical Associate Professor of Elementary Education at the University of Iowa. She also serves as the Director of Professional Development for the Iowa Center for School Mental Health and the Baker Teacher Leader Center. Vogelgesang began her career in education as an elementary classroom teacher. In 2015 she graduated from the University of Iowa with her Ph.D. in special education and her area of focus in social, emotional, and behavioral disorders in school-aged children.

Summit Schools, 1010 Regent St. NE, is a nonprofit, independent, prekindergarten through eighth-grade school in Cedar Rapids to over 100 students. Summit also offers tutoring and summer camps for all children in the Cedar Rapids area. Visit www.summitschools.org.