First-Ever SEL Symposium Promotes Student Well-Being in Kern County

School representatives from all over Kern County came out to the Padre Hotel Thursday morning for Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ (KCSOS) Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Symposium. The event, themed “Cultivating Hearts and Minds: Empowering the Whole Child,” emphasized the importance of supporting all students from academics to behavior to mental health and well-being.

The symposium’s keynote speaker, Houston Kraft, co-founder of CharacterStrong and author of Deep Kindness, delivered an inspiring address on the power of meaningful kindness and intentional connections. Kraft said he was thrilled to be a part of this inaugural event and build relationships with the people of Kern County.

“At CharacterStrong it is our fundamental belief that this work is all about relationships,” he said.

Keynote Speaker Houston Kraft leads guests in icebreaker activities.

Participants, including teachers, counselors, and administrators, had the opportunity to attend several breakout sessions focused on SEL implementation. The sessions, led by experts from CharacterStrong, offered practical strategies to integrate SEL into classrooms. Felisha Santiago, director of school support with CharacterStrong, said she was most excited for school leaders to attend these breakout sessions.

“There’s some really cool things happening and some key topics that are transformational for school districts, just to focus on putting SEL and building connections with students first,” she said.

In addition to the workshops and keynotes, the symposium featured a vendor fair on the hotel’s rooftop, where attendees could access resources. 

David Foster, a site administrator at the Fairfax Union School District, said he was excited to learn more about SEL and how to better apply CharacterStrong curriculum to his district. He said he was also interested in the networking and resource opportunities at the symposium.

“I’m running into old friends that are working with the county, and also meeting new people from the session this morning,” he said. “Besides the amazing content that we’re getting, it’s also really great networking opportunities. I’ve picked up a lot of content, flyers and brochures from the agencies outside.”

Brianna Crosby, wellness coordinator with KCSOS and a lead organizer for the event, said this is one of the first ever professional developments at the hotel and she’s grateful to CharacterStrong for their partnership. She said she hopes everyone came away from the event with a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.  

“It’s really neat to see all of these schools come together for this professional development day, and learning more about SEL,” she said. “We want to ensure every school in our county has the resources they need to create safe, connected learning environments.”

Event organizers Brianna Crosby, Ericka Pineda, and Angela Edwards with keynote speaker Houston Kraft.

Crosby emphasized the importance of SEL, particularly in addressing the whole child.

“I have a school counseling background, and so SEL is something that I’m really passionate about,” she said. “When students’ basic emotional needs are met, they perform better academically.”

Santiago agreed, saying building relationships between schools and students is what ultimately helps them build the skills they need to succeed in life.

“Relationships matter,” she emphasized. “It doesn’t matter how great of a teacher I am, or how great I am at instructional strategies, if we don’t build connections with students, they’re never going to reach their truest potential.”

Attendees were treated to a bouquet-making station, where they could craft personalized flower arrangements to take home, and the Bakersfield City School District Folklórico dancers performed during lunch. Each table was decorated with centerpieces created by students from Independence High School, adding a student-inspired touch to the event.

Plans are already forming for next year’s symposium, with Crosby looking ahead to an even bigger event in the future.

“Our hope would be that this is something that we can continue on, but on a larger scale,” she said. “I just really hope that it impacts the schools more than anything.”