Written by Catapult Learning, [email protected]
EmpowerU’s 1:1 coaching component proves critical in improving educator well-being and resilience.
Situation
Twelve K-8 Los Angeles Catholic schools were recipients of the “Fostering Culture Change Grant” provided by Loyola Marymount University. The schools were identified for their desire to create positive and lasting cultural changes that would benefit the community for years to come. Of primary focus was improving the mental health and well-being of all students and educators. Like many schools across the country, LA Catholic Schools were seeing a rise in mental health needs, along with a negative impact on the resilience and focus of both students and educators.
Loyola Marymount University executives were instrumental in conducting research to find a program that would support the grant’s mission and drive positive, measurable outcomes in well-being.
Partnership
In the spring of 2023, Loyola Marymount University selected EmpowerU to provide its Educator Resilience Training and Self-Care Professional Development course to nearly 150 educators in schools across the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Their decision to start with a focus on educator mental health had the purposeful goal of creating buy-in and beginning cultural change from the ground up. Educators were given a stipend for their time completing EmpowerU’s self-paced online course, designed to support well-being and help rekindle their sense of purpose and commitment to work.
Educator participants immediately felt the impact and especially benefited from the personalized 1:1 asynchronous support provided by EmpowerU’s online instructors. EmpowerU instructors provided encouragement and motivation to each educator as they set individual goals and learned skills to achieve them.
Driving Measurable Positive Change
Staff participation in EmpowerU’s educator program proved to lay a successful and supportive foundation. During the following fall, these same LA Catholic school educators utilized EmpowerU’s Teacher-led programming for students in 112 classrooms, with a much deeper understanding and excitement for the positive impacts this program can have.
Educator Testimonials
“Thank you to my instructor for pushing me to take time for me and for always being available. This was an awesome experience!” – Educator Course Participant
“This is a wonderful curriculum for educators! Benefitting from social emotional learning is key to academic success!” – LA Catholic School Educator Participant
“Focusing on educators’ mental health first played an important role in creating a culture of change. Educators improved their own well-being and were better prepared to teach EmpowerU to their students in the fall.” – Sr. Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, Ph.D., Loyola Marymount University
Learn More
Visit https://info.empoweru.education/ca_educator_pd to learn more about EmpowerU from Catapult Learning.
