2026 School Climate and Anti-Bullying Conference Schedule
Conference – October 29, 2026
Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:30 am – 9:00 am
Opening & Welcome
9:00 am – 9:15 am
Keynote I Presentation: 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Mykee Fowlin, Psy.D.
“You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me.”
Concurrent Workshop Sessions I: 10:45 am – 12:00 Noon
Workshop I
Anne Gregory, Ph.D.
Advancing Schoolwide -wide Restorative Practice
All too often well-intentioned school climate initiatives are stymied by a lack of buy-in and by resistance to shift from the status quo. Fundamental beliefs about the purpose of schooling and how to handle student misconduct can drive policy and practice. In this workshop, Dr. Gregory shares strategies and tools to foster educators’ motivation and commitment to a restorative approach to community-building and school discipline. Workshop participants will leave with concrete tools to increase buy-in as their schools undertake restorative work. Dr. Gregory will also introduce the Twelve Indicators of Restorative Practices implementation, a free guide to support comprehensive schoolwide implementation ( https://tinyurl.com/tg4gaw3). She will discuss how schools are using the guide to support planned, incremental, and strategic schoolwide initiatives.
Workshop II
David Rubin, Esq.
Keeping Schools Safe While Respecting Student Rights: The Legal Framework
Schools are entrusted with students’ safety, but honoring that obligation without violating students’ legal rights can often be a daunting challenge. This session will review the basic legal ground rules for preserving a safe school environment while respecting students’ legal rights under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, and other applicable law.
Workshop III
Paulina Dutton, LAC
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention
This interactive QPR Suicide Prevention training equips participants with practical, evidence-based skills to recognize warning signs of suicide and respond effectively. Attendees will learn how to ask direct questions about suicide, persuade individuals to accept help, and refer them to appropriate supports. Designed for professionals, caregivers, and community members, the session emphasizes stigma reduction, early intervention, and real-world application. Participants leave with increased confidence to act as a critical link in suicide prevention in both professional and everyday settings.
Lunch: 12:15pm – 12:45pm
Keynote II: 12:45pm – 2:05 pm
Alisha DeLorenzo
Unleashing a Culture of Aliveness through Positive Disruption
Concurrent Workshop Sessions II: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Workshop I
Alma A. Godinez and Alysia Colón
Raquel Sosa, PhD
Kimberly Valle, MPA
Topic: Supporting Immigrant Students
Title TBA
Workshop II
Josh Barrett and Memorial HS Peer Mediators
The Power of the Circle: Providing Safety and Support for Students
Josh Barrett and his students will demonstrate the power of a daily discussion circle to build a strong feeling of community, while building communication skills and a sense of psychological safety. In the powerful workshop Josh and his previous students provided at this conference last year, they shared some of the discussions and activities they had experienced. This year Josh and his current students will share another set of experiences that attendees can also use in circle discussions with students.
Workshop III
Jose Luis Posos, M.Ed, LPC
Digital Harm and Disconnection: What the 2026–2027 Phone Shift Means for School Climate
Students’ digital lives now shape peer dynamics, identity development, and perceptions of safety. Research consistently links digital victimization to anxiety, depression, loneliness, reduced academic engagement, and diminished belonging. These effects extend beyond individual students and influence overall school climate.
Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, New Jersey schools will implement statewide restrictions on student phone use. While emerging research suggests that phone bans may improve academic focus and reduce distraction, evidence shows that restrictions alone do not automatically improve mental health. In some cases, abrupt digital disconnection may heighten anxiety, particularly for students who rely on online communities for validation and support.
This session examines: the mental health impact of digital harm on belonging and climate, the relationship between perceived safety and attendance, what research says about phone bans and student wellbeing, how schools can implement phone restrictions while protecting connection and psychological safety, and practical strategies at the student, classroom, and family level. Participants will leave with a research-informed framework for navigating digital harm and policy change while strengthening school climate and student mental health