International Education Association Announces Free Webinars for Australian Educators

Alexandria, VA (08/22/2012)—ASCD, the international education association dedicated to providing programs, products, and services that support the success of all students, announced today a free webinar series for Australian educators—the Whole Child Down Under Webinar Series. The aim of the series is to further engage Australian audiences in the work of ASCD and the Whole Child Initiative, which aims to ensure that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

The series sessions are conveniently timed for Australian residents. The Down Under webinar series runs from late September through the end of October and illuminates crucial topics in education, ranging from principal development to health in education, that fit directly into current Australian conversations regarding the National Curriculum, the Gonski Report (PDF), and the value of a well-rounded education.

The sessions are as follows:

The Role of the Principal in Developing a Whole Child Approach
Sydney—Tuesday, September 25, 12:00 p.m.
Perth—Tuesday, September 25, 10:00 a.m.
Washington, D.C.—Monday, September 24, 10:00 p.m.
This webinar will present ASCD’s whole child approach to education, which is aimed at ensuring that each child in each school and each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Principals are crucial to establishing the climate and culture of their schools and can play an important role in expanding learning beyond the academic. This webinar will showcase steps and tools they can use to implement a whole child approach to education.

A Systems Approach to Developing a Whole Child Approach to Education
Sydney—Wednesday, October 10, 12:00 p.m.
Perth—Wednesday, October 10, 9:00 a.m.
Washington, D.C.—Tuesday, October 9, 9:00 p.m.
This webinar will focus on providing participants with steps for systemic school improvement using the tenets of the Whole Child Initiative and its indicators. The new, free ASCD School Improvement Tool, which can help schools and districts conduct a simple needs assessment and provide next steps in the school improvement process, will be demonstrated for participants.

A Whole School, Whole Child Approach to Health and Education
Sydney—Wednesday, October 31, 12:00 p.m.
Perth—Wednesday, October 31, 9:00 a.m.
Washington, D.C.—Tuesday, October 30, 9:00 p.m.
This webinar will outline steps and processes that schools can use to better align health and education, and will highlight tools that schools and health professionals can use to promote health in the school environment. In addition, the webinar will present examples of where a whole school, whole child approach to education has helped improve how the health and education sectors interact and complement each other.

"ASCD is pleased to follow up on our recent Whole Child Virtual Conference with this webinar series designed expressly for Australian educators," said Sean Slade, director of Whole Child Programs at ASCD and an Australian himself. "We invite educators at all levels across the country to join us for this series of webinars to learn more about the whole child approach to education."

To register for the Whole Child Down Under Webinar Series, visit www.ascd.org/wcdownunder. For more information about ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, visit www.ascd.org/wholechild. For more information about ASCD and all of its programs, products, and services, or to join, visit www.ascd.org.

Contact Information  

• Katie Test, communications specialist, 1-703-575-5608 or by e-mail.
• Stephen Wakefield, communications director, 1-703-575-5764 or by e-mail.