Exploring Awe and Well-Being in Classrooms and Schools

Venue: Online
Date: Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov 16, Nov 30, and Dec 14, 2023
Time: 3:30-4:45 pm PT
Price: $25
REGISTER HERE

About This Community of Practice

Join us for Exploring Awe and Well-Being in Classrooms and Schools, a virtual Community of Practice for educators interested in bringing more awe, wonder, curiosity, and healing into their classrooms and schools.

Designed to complement the course Awe in Education: Creating Learning Environments that Inspire, Motivate, and Heal, we'll explore the cutting-edge science of awe and experience turn-key practices and activities that bring inspiration to students and staff in five immersive sessions. All participants must also be enrolled in the online course in order to join the Community of Practice.

Each session is highly interactive and will include:

A featured practice and reflection
Cutting-edge research behind awe and well-being
Opportunities for small group connection and discussion
A time to share ideas, thoughts, and questions with the larger community

Sessions

In each 75-minute session, we will:

Session 1 (October 19): Explore how brief experiences of awe can benefit our own well-being and that of our colleagues and students.
Session 2 (November 2): Explore how awe can help us discover a sense of meaning (Awe Wonder #1) and open our minds to new ideas (Awe Wonder #2).
Session 3 (November 16): Explore how experiencing awe can motivate us to help the environment (Awe Wonder #3) and increase our sense of the dignity of life (Awe Wonder #4).
Session 4 (November 30): Explore how seeing the kindness of others can bring out our own innate goodness (Awe Wonder #5), and how the awe of art and design can open our eyes to beauty everywhere (Awe Wonder #6).
Session 5 (December 14): Explore how the shared experience of movement (Awe Wonder #7) and music (Awe Wonder #8) can increase our sense of shared humanity.

Testimonials (from previous Communities of Practice)

"Connecting with others with the same passion and desire to make a difference was inspiring."

“I had a very rich and enlightening conversation with those in my small groups.”

"I really like how you sent links to studies. That always helps when I am trying to propose new ideas to a school... ‘See, there was a study!’”

"This group was a wonderful model of how to rapidly build community through a semi-structured experience."

“The importance of collaborating with like minded people in education. Living in rural MN, it is nice to have this online space to connect with educators doing similar work around the world.”

Logistics and Cost

Exploring Awe and Well-Being in Classrooms and Schools will gather five times throughout the fall: October 19, November 2, November 16, November 30, and December 14, from 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. (Pacific Time). Note: Because of our special guest (Dacher Keltner) at the first CoP, we will end at 5:00 p.m.

All sessions will take place on Zoom. In order to build a community anchored by safety, trust, and connection, we ask that all who enroll plan to attend each session.

Who Should Join the Community of Practice?

This course is for anyone interested in inspiring and supporting our next generation along with fostering the well-being of educators—preK-higher ed teachers, school leaders, higher education administrators, school mental health professionals, SEL specialists, professional development leaders, homeschooling parents, spiritual leaders, camp counselors, piano teachers, nature-led learning advocates, and anyone interested in exploring awe and creating learning communities that educate and inspire.

All Community of Practice participants must also be simultaneously enrolled in our course, Awe in Education: Creating Learning Environments that Inspire, Motivate, and Heal.

What is the Cost to Participate?

The cost to enroll in the Community of Practice is $99/person.

The Greater Good Science Center is funded entirely by donations and grants—we do not receive any financial support from the University of California, Berkeley. However, we are able to offer many of our GGSC resources for free because we charge for some of our programs and courses. We do our best to make our courses and events affordable for everyone, but realize that “affordable” can mean vastly different things depending on individual or geographic circumstances.

If the cost is prohibitive due to your personal circumstance or budget, but you feel this community would value to you and your community, we welcome you to use the code "AWECOP" to register at a reduced rate ($49).

To encourage groups of educators from the same school or community to attend together, we are also offering a discount for school cohorts. If you are enrolling a group of educators from the same school or community, you can use the code "TOGETHER" to receive $20 off of each enrollment.

Please reach out to us at ggsceducation@berkeley.edu with questions or to discuss additional payment options.

Vicki Zakrzewski

Vicki Zakrzewski (zahk-shef-skee), Ph.D., is the founding education director of the Greater Good Science Center. As an international thought leader on the science of well-being in education, Vicki writes articles (Greater Good, ASCD’s Educational Leadership, Edutopia, and Huffington Post), gives talks and workshops all over the world, and consults with schools and organizations on how the science of compassion, empathy, gratitude, mindfulness, and other social, emotional, and ethical skills can enhance the professional lives of educators and the lives of their students. More about Vicki
Broderick Rodell

Broderick Rodell Wilks PhD ND, is an educator whose passion and calling is to aid others in the art of practicing a life well lived. He sees his role as guide to those interested in acquiring the knowledge, skills and practices that will enable them to develop the characteristics that are conducive to self-realization, wellbeing and flourishing. A holistic approach to yoga that embraces a broad spectrum of truth claims from past to present over various traditions and disciplines is one of his means. Capoeira, a Brazilian dance/martial art, is also one of his teaching instruments for developing character and building community. He is also teaching Nutrition as well as Anatomy and Physiology at Laney College to support students’ awareness of the preciousness of the human body. More about Broderick