Resilient Schools

Vision: To cultivate thriving educational communities where every individual—youth and adult alike—is empowered through personal growth, connection, and a shared commitment to resilience.

Purpose: To empower a dynamic network of educators and leaders equipped to champion resilience, foster emotional safety, and deepen connection across school communities.

2025 Celebrating Resilience Summit - Registration OPEN

We are excited to announce the return of the Celebrating Resilience Summit! The 2025 Celebrating Resilience Summit, "Creating Intentional Spaces of Safety", will be held on October 24 & 25 in Tucson, AZ, so mark your calendars now for this inspiring and uplifting conference. Keynote and breakout speakers, activities, and resources will all focus on aspects of neuroscience and how we can capitalize on integrating the concepts to create spaces of safety and connection for youth and for those who work with them.

As in past years, you can anticipate that this transformative event will be brimming with local and national speakers sharing cutting-edge research and innovative strategies to cultivate resilience within our diverse educational communities. Additionally, the conference will continue to feature intentional wellness opportunities woven throughout the event.

Any questions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Leslie Anway, Director of Resilient Schools.

CLICK HERE for the agenda!

CLICK HERE to Register!

CLICK HERE for the Exhibitor Registration Form

CLICK HERE for a Printable Flyer

A huge thank you to our sponsors: Tucson Electric Power, Harmony Academy/National University, Marshall Foundation, Treasures 4Teachers of Tucson.

25-26 Resilience Cohorts and National Sustaining Resilience CoP

Registration for the SY '25-'26 Resilience Cohorts offered through Pima County School Superintendent's Office Resilient Schools program is now open! The Caregiver Resilience, Trauma & Resilience, and Adult Resilience Train the Trainer Cohorts are held virtually, run from September '25- May '26, and meet 1-2 times for one hour per month. 12 CE credits provided upon completion.

Due to the popularity of these Cohorts, we encourage you to register early to secure a spot. Cohorts are open to school mental health professionals (counselors, school social workers, school psychologists), administrators, teachers, higher ed, and youth care workers from around the state of Arizona.

All SY '25-'26 Resilience Cohort participants will receive a discount to attend the 2025 Celebrating Resilience Summit in October.

To fill out the Initial Resilience Cohort Interest Form: https://forms.gle/BbxzXRhuGXPVxChX8

CLICK HERE for a printable flyer with more information

Arizona Resilience Spotlight Series

The Arizona Resilience Spotlights are about celebrating resilience, innovation, and impact across our state. The vision of the AZ Spotlights is to cultivate thriving educational communities where every individual—youth and adult alike—is empowered through personal growth, connection, and a shared commitment to resilience.

CLICK HERE for a flyer with sessions dates and topics
CLICK HERE to register

National Resilience Spotlight Series

The National Resilience Spotlights are about elevating systems change and everyday impact. The vision of the National Spotlights is to cultivate a dynamic network of educators, leaders, and community partners around the country who are equipped to champion resilience, foster emotional safety, and deepen connection across diverse settings.

CLICK HERE for a flyer with sessions dates and topics
CLICK HERE to register

Resilient Schools Podcast

CLICK HERE to listen to Self-Awareness vs. Prescriptive Safety with Dr. Leslie Anway

2024 Celebrating Resilience Summit

Educators from across the state, along with national speakers, joined us for our 2nd Annual Celebrating Resilience Summit experience! Attendees learned about building learning spaces that facilitate belonging, empowering students to foster self-control and manage their emotions, and so much more! Keynote Speaker Doc Brown inspired the nearly 300 attendees with his message of hope.

The experience inspired the mind and the soul with dance breaks, drum rooms, mindfulness and reflection times, tapping, a student-voice panel, and massage stations. Two incredible days of presence, inspiration, and connection!

Huge thank you to our Gold Sponsor Tucson Electric Power who continues to support education across Pima County. Also a shoutout of gratitude to our student volunteers, exhibitors, breakout session speakers, the talented Pueblo Mariachi students, Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott, all of our dedicated attendees, and everyone who made this event possible.

CLICK HERE for a Promo Video for the Celebrating Resilience Summit

CLICK HERE for a Photo Album

CLICK HERE for video testimonials

2025-26 Resilience Cohorts and National Community of Practice

CLICK HERE to join the waiting list! Cohorts are intentionally designed to be an engaging, interactive learning space. Our bi-monthly (varies) one-hour sessions support meaningful integration of research, strategies, resources, and collaboration related to building and growing resilience for youth and adults into daily practice. All cohorts are free, virtual, and run from September through May. We welcome statewide participants from the field of education (teachers, administrators, school mental health professionals, and other staff) and those who support educators in any capacity. Spaces are limited!

Questions?

Dr. Leslie Anway, Director of Resilient Schools
520.724.8393
[email protected]

2023 Celebrating Resilience Summit

Educators from around the country joined us for our Celebrating Resilience Summit! Attendees learned about building learning spaces that facilitate belonging, empowering students to foster self-control and manage their emotions, and so much more! Two incredible days of inspiration and connection! CLICK HERE for a photo album!

Summit Testimonials:

“Everything was incredible, and I cannot miss the next one. The breakout sessions challenged my mind, soul and spirit.”

“I have been attending educational conferences for over 30 years and this is the first one in a very long time that I can say is a wow! It was inspiring and I learned something new from every single keynote and breakout speaker. Our superintendent and every principal and teacher in our district needs to hear all of this information!”

“Love having all of these new tools in my teacher toolbox!”

“Wonderful! I had stopped attending conferences because, in education, you start to hear the same things over and over. This blew it out of the water! Please do it again next year!”

"Incredible conference, very well organized! I feel rejuvenated and ready to pass that on to staff at our school! Thank you!!

“The Summit was great, with excellent organization and great speakers. Thank you again for all your work and dedication to make this possible.”

“I was done with conferences and had, for the most part, stopped attending. I reluctantly came to this one. Wow, was I surprised, amazed, and inspired and now I can’t wait to come back when you hold it again next year!”

Professional Development

The Resilient Schools Schools program provides professional training, coaching, support, and resources, along with the facilitation of live and virtual webinars/conferences/institutes focused on targeted training and education that serves to improve professional knowledge, competence, and effectiveness of educational stakeholders. These workshop presentations are designed and facilitated by the director and/or contracted certified trainers. Trainings, coaching, support, and resources are regularly evaluated to remain current and relevant on the needs of our school communities.

Support

The Resilient Schools program’s intention is to contribute to a learning community’s positive climate by providing consultation services, staff training, mentoring, assessment & program auditing, problem-solving, action planning, and resource identification & evaluation.

Partnerships & Resources

The Resilient Schools program connects learning communities to agencies, programs, training, other educational professionals, and resources found locally within the Tucson Metro area and Pima County, that serve to meet the needs of their students.

The Resilient Schools program and our well-established and sustained relationships with highly revered organizations and their trainers, effectively collaborate to train, coach, support, and provide informational resources to learning communities to make a greater impact on our schools and society.

Pima County Health Department

School Community Health & Safety
Communicable Disease & Vaccination
Oral Health & Nutrition
Sexual & Reproductive Health
School Mental Health
Substance Use
School Professional Resource Library
Tobacco Prevention & Cessation
Other Resources

PCHD Trainings & Presentations

Mental Health First Aid (Youth/Adult)
National Alliance on Mental Illness “Ending the Silence”
Narcan Training
QPR Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention
Rise of Fentanyl
Strengthening Families Program
Stress Management
Bystander Training for Opioid Overdose Prevention (online)

Pima Cycle Breaker – “We Are Destined to Repeat What We Don’t Repair”

The Pima Cycle Breaker Program empowers lifelong success among youth and young adults by offering educational pathways, skills-based training, apprenticeships, jobs placements and needs-driven wraparound services (including housing, transportation, food and tuition).
Contact Director Monica Verrett for more information: 520.724-8451, [email protected].

Tu Nidito: No Child Grieves Alone

Tu Nidito is a Safe Place where children, teens, young adults, and families find comfort, hope and support while they are grieving the diagnosis of serious medical condition or the death of loved one.

Arizona Department of Education:

School Safety & Social Wellness: Supporting the Emotional, Mental and Physical Health and Safety of Arizona Students.
Southern Arizona School Safety Consortium: The regional consortiums are sponsored by The Trust and meet quarterly to provide presentations on emergency preparedness topics of interest and lessons learned.

Southern Arizona Trauma Informed Network (SATIN)

The Southern Arizona Trauma Informed Network is a consortium whose goal is to create a trauma informed community and to promote resiliency.

Power Over Predators

Alert adults and kids to the critical dangers of in-person ad online abuse, equipping and empowering them with skills to prepare, intervene, and protect them from victimization.

Alternative Education Council

A network of alternative education educators (Public school districts and charter schools, private schools, Accommodation Districts) to share best practices and explore innovative teaching and learning strategies.

National Collaborations

Neurosequential Network
National Comprehensive Care Network/Department of Education

Fred Acosta Job Corps Center

VIDEO: Begin Here - Job Corps

Children’s Advocacy Center of Southern Arizona

Miss Jai Smith (she/her & he/him)
CEO & Senior Consultant, Toadhenge Consulting, LLC.

Schools in Transition Resource
For more information and to subscribe to his/her newsletter, use this link: Ask Miss Jai

The Peace Pad - For anyone who is passionate about peace and justice education and wants to make a positive impact in their learning environments and communities.

Cities4Peace – workshops and online courses for 'seek peace within' and Sky breathwork-meditation.
PeaceEd Gateway - innovative web platform and collective of partners that will ultimately transform and connect learning environments and educators worldwide; mainstreaming peace education in schools!

Higher Ground - Educators, Families, Youth, Leaders, And Neighbors Coming Together To Support Community Development And Innovative Learning (includes Restart SMART Community School Initiative)

Communication Director: Kat St. Pierre
Founder and CEO: Jansen Azarias-Suzumoto

Teen Lifeline