(Lancaster, CA, June 6, 2023) Narrowly focused professional development on harmful behaviors or “isms” or specific groups did not appeal to the Lancaster School District (LSD). They wanted an inclusive program with a comprehensive and proactive approach that would transform mindsets, encourage civil engagements, preserve human dignity, and welcome healthy interactions between all school stakeholders: administrators, staff, teachers, students, and parents.
Schools are struggling to find effective ways to respond to the civil unrest, conflict wars, oppression affecting our society as well as the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, school shootings, and the killing of George Floyd and others. Harmful engagements and words between people are nothing new, but the recent bold attacks and mistreatment towards who and what is disliked demonstrates we have a long way to go. These uncivil engagements between people are taking a toll on the school environment and directly impacting student learners, school employees, parents and families, and communities.
Lancaster School District’s Director of Special Education, Rosemary Napoleon and Director of Student Equity, Access, and Outcomes, Alesha Cayce contacted The Civility Zone’s founder, Dr. Rhea Settles about offering an organization-wide series of trainings on her Mindful Civility® methodology for all stakeholders including administrators and parents for the 2022-2023 school year.
Mindful Civility® is a self-regulation tool for people to use so they can share resources and spaces and engage with others without harming or being harmed. Mindful Civility® fits the civil engagement and human dignity framework whereas its elements include knowing and monitoring assumptions, biases, and privileges, and creating an individualized action plan to intentionally avoid harming or being harmed. Dr. Settles has developed an inclusive, intriguing, and progressive self-regulation model that benefits everyone, not just a select few.
Lancaster School District participants are receptive to Mindful Civility® and putting it into practice. They believe this is a huge gap in schooling systems that they are filling at such a crucial time as this. Psychologist Dr. Haim Ginott says, “children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression”. Lancaster School District wants that impression to be peace, safety, and learning.
About The Civility Zone:
The Civility Zone is a civil engagement and human dignity education agency focused on coaching, teaching, leading a human-centered culture and climate, and providing learning seminars on how to use the Mindful Civility®(MC) methodology, tools, and protocols to self-regulate when engaging with others so as not to cause harm or be harmed in Learning Places (schools & colleges), Living Places and Workplaces. (www.thecivilityzone.com)
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