How do you motivate and engage even those difficult to reach students?

Over the last 20 years, WhyTry has led the way with practical and effective social and emotional education resources. These include curriculum, tools, and training to help educators motivate, address mental health needs, and follow a trauma-informed approach to build emotional resilience in every student.

Incorporating The WhyTry Approach

The WhyTry is not just a series of tools and resources to teach life skills; it’s an approach to motivating even the most difficult to reach students. In this webinar, we discuss practical examples of how educators can build competencies that are key to student engagement and follow our proven model of teaching resilience to all students. 

Panelists

Ashley Wright Born and raised in Houston, TX, Ashley Wright went through undergraduate studies as an Education Major at Sam Houston State University as well graduate studies as a Professional School Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. She currently serves as an elementary school counselor in Conroe ISD at Lucille J. Bradley Elementary. She has been an educator for the past 13 years and a school counselor for the past 4 years. Ashley Wright teaches students to accept diversity, increase their self-esteem, build character and maintain resilience. Ashley continues to implement a diverse comprehensive counseling program that is dedicated to meeting the needs of her students, staff and the community. From weekly counseling lessons, student leadership opportunities, parent education shows, and student achievement awards, Ashley brings enthusiasm and campus engagement throughout the entire school year. As an advocate for the school counseling profession, Ashley has also presented several national webinars with the national WhyTry program and Region 4 Education Center with counseling program implementation ideas, tools, and strategies to increase student attendance and engagement, and school counselor self-care. Overall, Ashley continues to influence other professional school counselors in their role and strives to create change in our education system.

Jennifer Kortge, LMSW Jennifer is currently in her twenty-fourth year as a School Social Worker at the Consortium for Exceptional Children, the Special Education Department of Almont, Dryden, and Imlay City Schools in Lapeer County, Michigan. Jennifer is privileged to work with extraordinary students and staff in elementary and secondary settings across the districts. The WhyTry Program and Resilience for Youth Program have been foundational in her work to support social-emotional learning. In 2021, Jennifer additionally became a Certified Trauma & Resilience Trainer through Starr Commonwealth of Michigan.

Jason Johnson Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance.  Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization. Jason is a thought leader on resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered trainings for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.

Relevance… the key to finding your WHY

How do we help students that are dealing with trauma, living in poverty, are academically deficient, or just feeling frustrated and hopeless about school?  How can we help them to see the relevance of education, and set them on a path to a future career with hope and a livable wage?

Student advocates and amazing educators, Principals Akbar Cook and Amen Rahh

Listen to these incredible school administrators and they share insights and strategies on how to create hope and open the doors of opportunity for their students!  These men will share inspiring stories of how they have transformed their urban schools from the east coast (Newark, NJ) to the west coast (Compton, CA) into model schools for increasing attendance and engagement and reducing violence.  Their work has been so impactful they have not only transformed their schools but those schools have become centers for change to the whole community!   (Read more about their inspirational work in their bios below!)

Panelists

Akbar Cook Akbar H. Cook Sr. was born and raised in Newark’s West Ward. He attended Essex Catholic High School, where he excelled as a student and basketball player. Mr. Cook attended St. Catherine’s College in Kentucky on two basketball scholarships before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Florida Atlantic University, a Division 1 University in Boca Raton, Florida. He went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision from St. Peters University in Jersey City in 2006. Mr. Cook’s love for children and basketball led him to Newark Vocational School in 2008, where he became head coach of the boys’ basketball team. From the head basketball coach position, he was promoted to Vice Principal in 2012. In 2014, he was assigned to West Side High School as the Vice Principal. Mr. Cook is well known for having a stern, yet caring presence in the lives of many of Newark’s youth. His desire to uplift and educate children is always at the forefront of his work in Newark Public Schools. Mr. Cook’s passion to improve his community and impact children’s lives has led him to volunteer in food kitchens and participate in Christmas tree and toy drives. He also organizes recreational activities for Newark Public School students and works closely with the Newark Police Department to ensure safe transportation for all students after school functions. In the summer of 2016, Mr. Cook started the Lights On Program at West Side High School from the peak hours of 6-11 pm, to ensure that our students and other young adults in the community are safe during peak crime hours. His vision for Lights On became a reality after he lost students to gun violence. Mr. Cook was named the Principal of West Side High School for the 2018-2019 school year! One month into his new role as Principal, Mr. Cook had his grand opening for a laundromat at West Side High School which was his project to help ameliorate bullying concerns for students who were displaced and had no funds or access to washing machines. The bullying resulted in excessive school absences and after the laundromat installation, the attendance rates increased significantly. The initiative has been named “Washing Bullying Away”. After being featured on The Star ledger, the success of the newly installed laundromat reached the producers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show who invited Principal Cook as a guest of the show on two separate occasions where he secured over $100,000 from DeGeneres and a year’s supply of food from General Mills for the food pantry. His Lights On segment on CBS Evening News garnered the attention of Oprah Winfrey who visited the school and dropped off a generous donation of $500,000 to ensure the longevity of the Lights On Program. He continues to create new initiatives such as the development of the Urban Farm on campus, a built-in soccer pitch, and a brand-new kitchen for Home Economics. Principal Cook is a divine leader who builds other leaders just like himself while focusing on the love. In addition to serving as principal of West Side High Schools, he also serves as program director of Great Newark LifeCamp; a summer camp for inner city youth. Akbar Cook resides in NJ with his wife and three sons.

Amen Rahh Amen Rahh–Principal, Speaker, and Author–is an Amazon Best-Selling Author paving the way towards educational revolution. Trained at the International Institute for Restorative Practices, he has been a leading voice in the quest to transform the education experience in America. He founded University Pathways Public Service Academy, now considered a model school for building a Restorative Community. Just two years into its establishment, and it continues to share his sweeping ideas to schools all over the country. Proud Compton, California native, Amen Rahh has partnered with the LA Clippers for a new basketball court, ThinkWatts for a music program, Planet Fitness for a new weight room, the FBI for an academy, and a Law firm for a youth law society. These are just a few of some of the unique experiences he has brought to his school community. Nationally known for his creation of a unique house system which he uses to increase a sense of belonging on campus. The culturally relevant house system consists of four key secondary goals named after key individuals that represent these goals. He named the houses after Colin Kaepernick, Michelle Obama, A.OC and Nipsey Hussle (Advocacy – AOC, Friendship – Mobama , Motivation – Hussle , Courage – KAP). Amen Rahh is the true definition of innovation and revolution in education. Service in Watts Amen Rahh has been servicing the students and families of Watts for over ten years. Amen Rahh trained and assisted with engineering the Boys To Gentlemen Program led by Keith Linton that services 1,000 students in Watts. Amen Rahh established a relationship with the Los Angeles Clippers to establish a new outdoor sports facility as well as a new gymnasium and garden for the community. Amen Rahh annually takes students from Watts out of the state to visit Historically Black College Universities (HBCUs) This year, he is taking two of his students to Alabama to visit key landmarks with a goal of empowering his students to achieve their goals.

Jason Johnson Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance.  Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization. Jason is a thought leader on resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered trainings for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.

Resilience can be taught!

How do you help students bounce back from what they have been through? From trauma, isolation, and poverty, to mental health challenges, our students have faced many obstacles over the last two years. Come see a formula to help you guide students through the challenges that destroy motivation and make it difficult to find success.

Emotional Supports for Educators and Students

Join us as we share the WhyTry model and approach for teaching resilience to students, and fostering resilience at home with parents, and with school staff.

Hans Magleby Hans Magleby is the founder of WhyTry and creator of the WhyTry Program with Christian Moore. Hans is a former teacher and has over 20 years of experience as a trainer, and education consultant specializing in student engagement and social-emotional education. Hans frequently speaks to audiences of educators, administrators, counselors, and mental health professionals across the US.  Hans has a diverse background in technology, product development, and instructional design. Hans is a former art director for a video game company and technology entrepreneur. He has a passion for using technology to teach and engage youth and has been dedicated to the growth and mission of WhyTry, developing practical tools to teach resilience and motivate youth.

Jason Johnson Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance.  Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization.  Jason is a thought leader in resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered training for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.

Educators learn many important things in books and college classrooms that prepare them to go out in the world and make a difference teaching the next generation.  However, too often they find that they face a very different reality when they begin their careers.    Unfortunately over the last few years of this pandemic, many teachers have been saying “I wasn’t prepared for this!” and are left questioning if that passion is still there and if they are making the difference they had hope for back in college.   

Lessons learned teaching students resilience

In this webinar, we hear from some outstanding educators that have knowledge that share that can only come through experience.  Please join us as they discuss stories and examples of helping students with trauma and great adversity.  Hear some of their real-life stories of resilience and experiences helping students cope with poverty, violence, and a lack of basic hope that things will get better.   

Panelists

April Leong April was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and started her career in District 79 as an English teacher and family group advisor. As a young mother raised in poverty, April was determined not only to create a better life for her children but also believed what was good for her boys was good for everyone else’s children.  During her teaching career at High School Redirection April was awarded the Allan Houston My Teacher is My Hero Award.  She was responsible for creating many innovative programs in youth development and community service. April was also an integral member of the team who brought the nationally recognized Alternative H.S. Initiative, Diploma Plus to NYC. As an Assistant Principal April successfully transformed two underperforming suspension sites and received awards of recognition for outstanding leadership from her staff, Principal, and Superintendent. Finally, with a Bachelor’s degree from Baruch, Masters Degrees from both College of St Rose and Brooklyn College, she conceived, developed, and opened her own alternative high school and is now the founding principal of Liberation Diploma Plus High School, where she continues to be a strong student advocate, educator, family and community supporter, and fearless leader.  Ms. Leong’s work at Liberation has been recognized on numerous occasions by her Assemblyman, Councilman, and State Senator. The Times Magazine, Washington Monthly, and Albany news published and televised stories of Ms. Leong’s work with her students. Ms. Leong is a proud Cahn Alum and because of her selfless acts to fight to keep her building open and help her school community recover from Sandy, she received the Daily News Hometown Hero Award in 2013. It is a combination of all of her passion, hard work, sacrifices, and relentless efforts to help her students achieve success in the face of adversity that has earned Ms. Leong the prestigious Sloan Public Service Award of 2014 and the 2016 NY State Senate’s Women of Distinction Award. April Leong credits her success as an educator, a leader, and as a mother to key people at Baruch College and Greg “Jocko” Jackson (Brownsville Community Leader). April firmly believes that being a SEEK student was a blessing because as a SEEK student, April was able to get customized support.  April entered Baruch as a teenage mother who would be the first college graduate in her family and the support was essential for her survival and success.  Not only did April learn how to be successful in college but she learned how to be a better mother with the support of the Baruch Day Care Center.  The sacrifices and selfless acts of Greg “Jocko” Jackson to provide all that came through the doors of the Brownsville Recreation Center with a sense of hope and determination to overcome their challenges in life have been influential in April’s leadership and belief in the community.  When April speaks of the success of raising a Yale graduate and two sons who both are working in the field of education, she often refers to those who helped along the way.

Allison M. Farrington Allison is the founder and principal of Research and Service High School (RSHS) in Brooklyn, NY. She believes that strong community-school relationships are essential to academic and civic achievement. Find any successful school and you will also find parents and community members who are involved and supportive of the school. Therefore, RSHS expects students to excel both inside and outside of the classroom. Control, Optimism, Resilience, and Empowerment are the school’s CORE values.

Jason Johnson Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance.  Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization. Jason is a thought leader on resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered training for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.