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Rebuilding with Adolescents in Mind – Webinar Series

July 13, 2021

Whether returning to the classroom for the first time since early 2020, transitioning from hybrid back to a regular schedule, or returning to a routine with less disruption, this fall will be an inflection point for the adolescents in our communities. Tweens and teens have been deeply impacted, not just by the COVID pandemic, but by the racial reckonings across the nation. While many of our early efforts of support necessarily focused on younger kids, now is the time to turn our attention to and invest deeply in adolescents.

An expanded conversation on adolescents and the pandemic with education, community, medical and wellness experts, as well as youth themselves, is included here.

This four-part webinar series throughout July 2021 will support any adults who work with adolescents to:

  • More deeply understand the adolescent experience over the last 18-months through both science and hearing directly from young people.
  • Consider how we cannot just build back focused on our own systems, classrooms, or programs, but Build Forward Together.
  • Reimagine what schools might look like this fall to most effectively support adolescent learning and development.

This webinar series is supported by the Readiness Projects, the Center for the Developing Adolescent, and Youth-Nex.

Session 1: “COVID-19 & Adolescent Development – What Developmental Science Tells Us about Supporting Reentry”

In this first webinar, participants will learn about “COVID-19 & Adolescent Development – What Developmental Science Tells Us about Supporting Reentry.” Adolescence is a period of remarkable growth and opportunity. But the COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges for this age group—amplifying inequities and curtailing the social interactions and hands-on experiences that are key to learning during these years. In this webinar, Dr. Andrew Fuligni, Co-Executive Director of the Center for the Developing Adolescent, will discuss the pandemic’s impact on young people, and how we can better support their key developmental needs as we rebuild.

The first session is now available online through the series website which includes:

  1. Session Video
  2. Presentation Slides
  3. Resource: Supporting Positive Development for Youth Post-Pandemic

Also, given questions asked during the session, we also have posted more on the science of risk taking, including a resource and podcast.

Session #2:  Everything Different? Act Different! – Building Forward Together

In this second webinar, participants will learn about “Everything Different? Act Different! – Building Forward Together.” The Readiness Projects is working alongside communities to collaboratively create equitable learning and development ecosystems that unleash the power of all learners, recognize the power of all committed adults and optimize all learning settings and approaches. In this webinar we’ll dig in deeply to how communities can work together to intentionally invest in adolescents and build on adolescents determination as part of broader efforts to not just build schools back better, but Build Forward Together.

The session and resources are now available, including:

  1. Session video
  2. Presentation slides
  3. Presentation resource link list
  4. Presentation video
  5. Build Forward Together website

Webinar #3: Designing Educational Experiences with Adolescents in Mind

In this third webinar, participants will learn about “Designing Educational Experiences for Adolescents during Re-Entry: Supporting Students in Navigating their New Worlds.” Students across the U.S. have experienced a diverse set of educational experiences during the past 16 months. Yet common across these is that COVID restrictions for the most part have constrained the typical developmental experiences and aims of adolescence. In addition, adolescents have faced both additional stressors and new opportunities, and the re-entry to school and out-of-school activities will bring both gains and losses that students will have to navigate as their worlds re-open. This webinar will focus on how educators can think about how to shape in- and out-of-school experiences for adolescents that will support not only their academic learning, but also their social and emotional development and mental health.

  1. Session Video
  2. Resource Guide
  3. School-Based Strategies for Addressing the Mental Health and Well-Being of Youth in the Wake of COVID-19

Webinar #4: Learning from the Experts – A Youth Led, Youth Panel

In this final of four webinars, participants will learn about “Learning from the Experts – A Youth Led, Youth Panel.” Tweens and teens have been deeply impacted, not just by the COVID pandemic, but by the racial reckonings across the nation over the last 18-months. In this youth-led and -driven panel, 5 adolescents will share more about their experiences, what they hope for during the next year, and what adults can do to support youth like them. This expert discussion with young people from across the country is the capstone to this series on rebuilding for the fall.