10th Annual Wellness Together Conference: Full Schedule

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10:30am PDT

Making Wellness a Priority: Leadership Moves that Support Student Wellness Efforts

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

In this session, attendees will learn about San Diego Unified's journey in developing a districtwide wellness goal, the challenges they faced, the steps they took to ensure student voice stayed at the center of their efforts, and the ongoing refinements that are necessary given the complexities of defining and measuring "student wellness." Attendees will have the opportunity to analyze the leadership moves that were leveraged to support districtwide efforts and apply them to their own context to assist in the development of wellness goals that are actionable, attainable and impact the wellness of students and their surrounding communities.

Speakers

Nicole Dewitt

Deputy Superintendent, Instruction, San Diego Unified School District

Nicole DeWitt began working in public education in 2002, joining the San Diego Unified in 2017 as the Principal of Scripps Ranch High School. Prior to becoming a site administrator, she served as a Spanish and English classroom teacher, AVID instructor, English Learner Coordinator... Read More →

WTC 2026 Breakout Session Leadership & Wellness pdf

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
31 C

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Corporate Leaders, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Parents & Caregivers, HR Staff

2:30pm PDT

Its Bigger Than Burnout: Naming the SPIN That Keeps Us in Hustle Mode

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

31 C

Chronic stressors across every dimension of our lives, not just workplace demand, shape how we show up in the classroom and for ourselves. No matter how hard we try, a path out of hustle mode feels elusive. In a culture that keeps us teetering on burnout, what will help us anchor ourselves in sustainable practices that fit our lives, unravel shame, and find our way back to connection to ourselves, to others, and what we value most?

The SPIN cycle (Shame, Pressure, Isolation, Neglect) gives language to the forces that keep us in hustle mode despite our best efforts--especially those who are most impacted by systemic forces of inequity. Inclusive wellness offers a framework for addressing structural change and access to resources at the collective level, while supporting individual wellness in context, honoring how lived experience shapes unique wellness needs.

When we understand and address the SPIN in our own lives, we model what is possible for our students. Giving language to our own struggles helps our students to name their own without shame. Together, we work as a collective to create the conditions and structural support required to thrive, not just survive.

Continuing Education Session Information:

Course Syllabus | Speaker Resume | Session Flyer | Course Attendance | Course Evaluation

Upon completion of the course, attendance form, and evaluation, you will receive a Confirmation of Attendance Certificate through email. If you do not receive your Confirmation of Attendance Certificate within ten business days, please contact [email protected]

This course meets the qualifications for 1.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Wellness Together, Inc., Provider #141369, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor Continuing Education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Wellness Together maintains responsibility for this course and its content.

Speakers

Portia Jackson Preston

California State University, Fullerton

It's Bigger Than Burnout Flyer pdf

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
31 C

Breakout

Continuing Education Tracks BBS Continuing Education

3:45pm PDT

Designed to Drift: Navigating Kids' Relationships with AI Chatbots

Thursday September 10, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm PDT

31 C

Talking to an AI chatbot can feel surprisingly personal. It agrees with you, asks how you're doing, sounds sure of itself, and acts like it already knows you. Those aren't accidents, they're design choices, and for developing minds, they can carry real risk.

This session connects the research on how these design features work, the specific vulnerabilities they create for students, and what school communities can do to help safeguard against potential harms. We'll start with identifying the conversational design features that drive that sense of connection before exploring the concept of relational drift: how trust and context shape what students are willing to share, and how a chatbot's design can quietly pull them toward something more personal than they set out for. Groups will work through hands-on activities, analyzing anonymized chatbot conversation profiles, placing them on the drift spectrum to build awareness of the red flags that signal a shift toward unhealthy dependence.

Attendees will leave having experienced Common Sense Media's new Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum firsthand, with a clear understanding of the free, ready-to-use lessons they can bring directly into their classrooms and the professional development resources available to support educators in doing so.

Speakers

Eisha Buch

Head of Teaching & Learning, Common Sense Media

Eisha Buch is the Head of Teaching and Learning at Common Sense Media, where she leads the K-12 Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum, reaching millions of students, educators, and families across 85,000+ schools worldwide. A former New York City teacher with over 15 years in education... Read More →

Thursday September 10, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm PDT
31 C

Breakout

10th Annual Wellness Together Conference

10:30am PDT

Nicole Dewitt

2:30pm PDT

Portia Jackson Preston

3:45pm PDT

Eisha Buch

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