Building community capacity: a social support ecosystem for educators.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20412910

Classroom teachers play many roles throughout the school day, but mental health professional is not a hat that should be tried on without serious training. The goal of this research is to build teachers skills and confidence in supporting students. The number of children facing adversity and trauma is on the rise and these factors have a serious impact on classroom culture, learning, and safety. This research was conducted in a rural New England public school setting where sharing resources between small towns is necessary to navigate daily operations. To boost teacher skills and confidence, cycle one data collection asked three stakeholder groups for perspective. Teachers, district support staff, and potential community partners identified specific areas of need. Cycle two action steps connected teachers and local professional experts in helping fields who had the knowledge and experience to fill some of the gaps. Seven community-led professional development sessions were held, fifty-seven feedback surveys collected, and three reflective round table conversations facilitated. Teachers self-reported novel local profession connections, immediately applicable content, and increased confidence in supporting students. Implications for the organization include continued time dedicated to community-partner professional learning opportunities as well as the implementation of a group structure to sustain these interactions, a resource network, and a communication protocol in alliance with the district master plan.--Author's abstract