Social, Emotional and Learning Conference Keynote Speakers

Patricia Jennings

Bio: Patricia (Tish) Jennings is an internationally recognized leader in the fields of social and emotional learning and mindfulness in education and Professor of Education at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Her research places a specific emphasis on teacher stress and how it impacts the social and emotional context of the classroom, as articulated in her highly cited theoretical article "The Prosocial Classroom." Jennings led the team that developed CARE, a mindfulness-based professional development program shown to significantly improve teacher well-being, classroom interactions and student engagement in the largest randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness-based intervention designed specifically to address teacher occupational stress. She is a co-author of Flourish: The Compassionate Schools Project curriculum, an integrated health and physical education program and is co-Investigator on a large randomized controlled trial to evaluate the curriculum’s efficacy. She is currently the Principal Investigator of Project CATALYZE, a study that will examine whether CARE enhances the effectiveness of a social and emotional learning curriculum funded by an Education Innovation Research grant from the US Department of Education to conduct. A member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development among Children and Youth, she was awarded the Cathy Kerr Award for Courageous and Compassionate Science by the Mind & Life Institute in 2018 and recently recognized by Mindful Magazine as one of "Ten Mindfulness Researchers You Should Know." Earlier in her career, Jennings spent more than 22 years as a teacher, school director and teacher educator. She is the author numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters and several books: Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, The Trauma-Sensitive School: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching, Mindfulness in the Pre-K-5 Classroom: Helping Students Stress Less and Learn More, part of Social and Emotional Learning Solutions, a book series by WW Norton of which she is editor. Her latest book, Teacher Burnout Turnaround: Strategies for Empowered Teachers, was released in December 2020.

Peter H. Reynolds

Bio: Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator. Published in over 25 languages, his books The Dot, Ish, The Word Collector, and Say Something!, among others, inspire children and “grown up children” with Peter's messages about authentic learning, creativity, bravery, empathy, and courageous self-expression. Peter illustrated the best-selling I Am series and The Water Princess by Susan Verde and the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald. His most recent collaboration Peace Train with Cat Stevens reached the New York Times best-seller list in the first week of release. His media company FableVision produces award-winning interactive applications and his educational company FableVision Learning produces applications to inspire creativity in the classroom. Peter and his twin brother Paul launched the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity (TLC), a not-for-profit organization that encourages creativity and innovation in teaching and learning. He lives in the Boston area where he founded The Blue Bunny, a family-owned and operated children’s book, toy & creativity store.

Susan Verde

Bio: Susan Verde grew up in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City where she wore a skate key around her neck and carried a piece of chalk in her pocket for spontaneous games of hopscotch. Ultimately, she moved to the Hamptons where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in reading remediation and become an elementary school teacher for many years.

Susan Verde is a New York Times bestselling children’s author, children’s yoga and mindfulness expert, and parent of 3. She believes every child's experience is unique and should be celebrated. Her award-winning stories tell tales of magical museum visits, share the keys to lasting friendships and help you find a moment of calm in a sea of busy. All of her books have been translated into multiple languages and are read around the globe.  Her titles include, The Museum, You and Me, The Water Princess, Rock N roll Soul and Hey, Wall a Story of Art and Community and Unstoppable Me and a series of “Feel-Good Fairytales” including The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf who Lost His Breath, The Tossy Turny Princess and the Pesky Pea, and the upcoming Tortoise and Hare: A Book to Help you Find Balance.

Susan’s book I Am Human: A book of empathy, her follow-up to I Am Yoga and I Am Peace became an instant #1 New York Times best-seller. I Am Love: A Book of Compassion, released more recently, also made the New York Times best-selling list. Both books are a part of Verde’s I AM series, a collection of stories she wrote to make children feel empowered, seen, and believe in themselves, illustrated by the incredible Peter H Reynolds. The I Am series includes I Am Yoga, I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness, I Am Human: A Book of Empathy, I Am Love: A Book of Compassion, I Am One: A Book of Action, and the latest, I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience.

Susan hopes to provide children with tools in their “toolbox” to manage their emotions, and take a compassionate, approach towards themselves and others because we are all humans full of and deserving of love. Susan’s books with their focus on social emotional learning, continue to inspire children, educators, yoga practitioners and mindful humans alike helping to cultivate empathy and kindness in all of us.

In addition to writing, she continues to teach yoga and mindfulness to kids of all ages.

Susan is currently living in East Hampton, New York with her three children Joshua and Gabriel and Sophia and their menagerie of pets. With the ocean at her doorstep and the city in her heart she is constantly inspired to share stories and hopeful messages with the world.