Summary & Agenda
Our 2025 Theme: Courage and Compassion in Schools
The world really needs courage and compassion right now, and we believe in standing firm with educators to build kinder, happier schools and classrooms where everyone belongs.
The Greater Good Schools program includes a Summer Institute at UC Berkeley for school teams from around the world who will work together to envision schools where both students and adults thrive. School teams who participate will also join an ongoing, supportive community of practice throughout the upcoming school year.
- Summer Institute: Gather at UC Berkeley July 7-10, 2025, with your school team of 2-6 educators to work with the GGSC Education team, and other participants, to design a year-long plan to bring more courage and compassion into your school.
- Community of Practice: Participate in a monthly, facilitated, 90-minute virtual community of practice with other school teams from the Institute during the 2025-26 school year (Sept-May) for inspiration, implementation support, and mutual accountability. Zoom meetings will take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month (except November and December, which will be on the third Wednesday). Teams may join at 9 am PT or 3:30 pm PT according to their schedules and/or timezones. At least one team member is expected to attend each month.
Why a Greater Good Schools Program?
For seven years, we ran a highly successful Summer Institute for Educators to provide individual educators from all over the world the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the science and practice of prosocial development and, most importantly, to work with other educators to create practical applications of this science in their classrooms and schools.
Last year, we tried a workshop approach, for individuals and school teams, with online content and introductions prior to the gathering, reserving our precious time together to make connections, learn from one another, and begin planning for the upcoming school year. This “flipped classroom” approach, and the inclusion of school teams, was so successful that we’ve decided to design exclusively for school teams this year, and include ongoing implementation support for the 2025-26 school year.
We know that whole school change requires site teamwork and collaboration, so this year participants will be required to apply as a team of 2 or more from the same school community, with a discount offered to those who apply with a team of 4-6 school members.
We also know that whole school change requires ongoing communities of support, so when you join the Greater Good Schools Program, you’ll still attend the summer institute, but you will also be joining a virtual community of practice which meets monthly from September to May.
How it works
The Greater Good Science Center provides the space, the science, a curated library of pro-social practices, and dynamic facilitation, but the real magic takes place in the deep conversations and creative process among participants.
Prior to attending the institute, participants will gain access to online modules that provide an overview of the science of courage and compassion, why it matters for education, and ideas for applying it in classrooms and schools. The module will include videos, articles, reflection questions, and practices. Participants will be encouraged to start envisioning a plan for bringing more courage and compassion into their lives, classrooms, and schools.
Then, at the Summer Institute, participants will share their insights, questions, and ideas while collaborating to create research-based strategies for integrating courage and compassion into their classrooms and schools.
We’ll also have a ton of fun! Yoga, hiking, games, and more, all within a nurturing learning environment for deepening our understanding and practice of courage and compassion for ourselves and our students.
After the Institute, you will have access to a rich resource bank of materials ranging from online learning modules, short videos about the science and practice of courage, compassion, and well-being in schools, turnkey research-based practices, articles, podcasts, and more! You will also gain regular support and personal guidance from our community in both asynchronous and synchronous settings.
Program Components & Objectives
In this program, you will experience:
- Practical activities for fostering courage and compassion in classrooms and schools
- Deep self-reflection, thought-provoking discussions, and collaborative strategy sessions to develop meaningful ways to apply the science of courage and compassion in your classrooms and school, tailored to the needs of your students and staff.
- Membership in a monthly facilitated virtual community of practice with other school teams from the institute during the 2025-26 school year (Sept-May).
Summer Institute learning objectives:
- Explore, reflect on, and discuss the science of courage and compassion and its relevance to education.
- Examine practical ways to integrate the science of courage and compassion into various aspects of education, including school relationships, student and adult well-being, school and classroom climate, content, and pedagogy.
- Collaborate with other educators to create culturally and developmentally appropriate, research-based strategies for bringing courage and compassion into classrooms and schools.
- Develop a year-long plan for integrating courage and compassion into your classrooms and/or school setting.
- Prepare to engage in a year-long Greater Good Schools community of practice to support implementation.
Proposed Agenda
Monday, July 7th:
- 3:00-5:00 p.m. Registration
- 5:00-6:00 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
- 6:00-6:45 Buffet Dinner and Reception
- 6:45-7:30 Opening Circles
- 7:45-8:30 Optional Contemplative Practice/Activity
Tuesday, July 8th:
- 7:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast / Optional Morning Activity (i.e. Art, Yoga, Hike, Contemplative practice)
- 9:00-4:00 p.m. Workshops
- Dinner on your own
Wednesday, July 9th:
- 7:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast / Optional Morning Activity (i.e. Art, Yoga, Hike, Contemplative Practice)
- 9:00-4:00 p.m. Workshops
- Dinner on your own
Thursday, July 10th
- 7:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast / Optional Morning Activity (i.e. Art, Yoga, Hike, Contemplative Practice)
- 9:00-11:30 Workshops
- 11:30-12: Closing Circles
- 12:00 pm Lunch
Cost & Logistics
Who Should Apply?
Because of the structure and content of the Greater Good Schools Program, we prioritize teams of 2-6 educators who work in formal education settings (schools/school districts) and those whose students are children or young adults:
- Teams of 2-6 educators from a school* who are interested in putting the science of courage and compassion into action in their classrooms and schools, including:
- PreK-12 classroom teachers, paraeducators, and out-of-school-time providers
- PreK-12 school mental health professionals and counselors
- PreK-12 school and district-level administrators
- PreK-12 school board members
- Team members who are energized, hopeful, and ready to work together to create kinder, happier schools where everyone belongs.
* While site level administrators are not required to attend, it’s important that each team has the full support of their school leadership.
Cost to Attend and Join
The cost per participant is $1,475 for teams of two or three, or $1,275 for teams of four to six. This includes tuition, materials, room, and board (all meals, except two dinners). Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses and arrangements.
What is Included:
- 4 days of facilitated workshops
- 3 nights of accommodation — Monday, July 7, Tuesday, July 8, and Wednesday, July 9
- Meals, including, dinner on Monday, July 7; breakfast and lunch on Tuesday, July 8, Wednesday, July 9, and Thursday, July 10
- All materials
- A certificate of completion with 30 clock hours, provided at the end of the full-year program
Graduate-Level Professional Development Semester Unit/Credits are available at an additional cost through Courses4Teachers. Educators must complete the full-year program to be eligible for these units/credits.
Application Timeline:
The application will open on February 1, 2025, and will remain open until all spots are filled. We are able to accommodate up to 70 participants in the program.
Scholarship Opportunities
Understanding that those who attend the Greater Good Educators Summer Workshop do so on the salary of education, we do our best to make the Summer Workshop affordable without sacrificing quality or integrity. If you are unable to pay the full amount, we ask that teams first check with your school to see if they will cover any of your costs with professional development or other funding. If your school does not have funding, or their funding does not cover what you need, we may be able to provide a partial scholarship to help offset the cost of attendance.
The Greater Good Science Center is completely funded by donations and grants—we do not receive any financial support from the University of California, Berkeley. As such, we have limited funds available for scholarships and cannot offer full scholarships. In order to be as fair as possible to all applicants and create the most opportunity we can with scholarships, we ask applicants to request the minimum necessary. Please note that UC Berkeley policy prohibits us from awarding scholarships for travel.
If you would like to apply for a partial scholarship, please complete the scholarship form included in the application.
Lodging & Travel
Accommodations and Meals
Housing accommodations are located at the University of California, Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus—a beautiful Spanish-style complex. Situated in a lovely Berkeley neighborhood, the campus is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, and the UC Berkeley main campus. There are several hiking trails with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay directly behind the campus.
The two- and three-bedroom dorm suites have shared living rooms and one or two bathrooms that are shared by suite occupants. Each participant will be assigned a private room for sleeping with a shared bath. These accommodations are dorm rooms (unoccupied during the summer) and are minimally furnished. Please bring with you any amenities you require like from home (hair dryer, toiletries, etc.). Past participants have appreciated staying on campus, close to our meeting space and cafeteria, and being able to connect with other participants as “suitemates”. Some participants have expressed a desire to stay off-site for increased comfort and additional amenities; you may choose to stay off-site at your own cost.
Breakfast and lunch (July 8-10) are included and served at the Clark Kerr Dining Hall. Buffet menus offer a wide selection of hot entrees (including vegetarian and vegan options), a 100% organic salad bar, vegetables, soup, beverages, and desserts at each meal. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be available during the meeting sessions.
On Monday, July 7 we will serve a welcome dinner at our opening reception. All other evening meals are on your own.
Travel/Transportation
Participants are required to arrange their own travel. Please do not make any arrangements until you are admitted to the program. Daily parking permits are available for an extra fee (~$20/day), should participants choose to drive. More details will be included in the registration package.
Nearby airports
Transportation from the airport
- BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) + taxi
- Bayporter (daytime, by reservation only)
- Super Shuttle (evening, by reservation only)
- Taxi or Uber/Lyft
Facilitators
Margaret Golden, Ed.D.
Margaret Golden, Ed.D., plans and facilitates GGSC communities of practice to provide educators with transformative explorations in the science of well-being and social-emotional learning.
Amy L. Eva, Ph.D.
Amy L. Eva, Ph.D., is the associate education director at the Greater Good Science Center. During her twelve-year tenure as a teacher educator, she became particularly passionate about educator resilience and self-care, and she loves to conduct workshops that focus on teacher well-being. More about Amy Eva.
Salina Mae Espinosa-Setchko
Salina Mae (she/her/ella), is a Bay Area born and raised community leader with over 20 years experience serving California schools both as a K-12 classroom teacher and as a mindfulness coach and consultant.
Gabrielle Thurmond
Gabrielle Thurmond is a public school educator and the founder and principal consultant of Educate ABC123. She has spent over 20 years working in schools with administrators, teachers, and families in service to students.