Speaker Dan Gross presented at our fall 2018 lecture on the topic of Executive Function.
Twice a year, Westbridge Academy hosts speakers who bring best practices to local educators. For leaders at Westbridge Academy, it is more than a training effort – it is a mission.
“We know we cannot serve every child who needs us, so our goal is to help others understand and use best practices in order to help students in their classrooms and schools,” said Dr. Viviana Litovsky, Executive Director of Westbridge Academy.
Seven years ago, Westbridge launched the initiative as a way to help support their colleagues in public school settings. Experts have covered topics including: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect, Executive Function Skills, Emotionally Intelligent Classrooms, Behavior Management, and Social and Emotional Learning. In years past, nationally-recognized thought leader Dr. Howard Knoff, creator and founder of Project Achieve, shared field-tested interventions designed to help disobedient, disruptive students.
This year, Erin Bruno, a lead trainer for Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care’s Social Decision-Making Program, presented on the important topic of Social and Emotional Learning, focusing on how to teach those skills to students with disabilities. And last spring, Dr. “Buzz” Mingin energized a full house with his hands-on, practical approaches to working with students who have challenging behaviors.
“We recognize that some students can be served in local programs, but that educators need access to tools, techniques, and strategies that have been shown to make a meaningful difference,” she added. “This outreach program is designed to address that need and is deeply rooted in our school’s mission.”
