Why Bullying Prevention Falls Short? What Educators, Students, and Families Can Achieve Together
A Free, Virtual Summit - Wednesday, October 14th, 2026
Most schools already have a bullying prevention program. Posters are up, assemblies are scheduled, and staff have sat through the training. Yet bullying persists — and the adults closest to it often feel less equipped than the curriculum suggests they should be. This summit moves past the "program" and into the daily, in-the-moment reality of adult intervention: what to do in the 30 seconds after you witness something, how to talk to a student who won't open up, and how to work with a colleague who dismisses it as "kids being kids." Rather than another framework to file away, educators leave with concrete, testable moves they can use tomorrow morning.
What you'll walk away with:
• The in-the-moment response — A practical script for intervening in the first 30 seconds without escalating or shaming, plus how to tell one-off conflict from a real pattern of targeting. • Getting the real story — Conversation approaches for students who shut down, and for colleagues who minimize it as "kids being kids" — without damaging trust either way. • Documentation and family conversations that hold up — What to record so it protects the student later, and how to frame a hard conversation with a parent so it builds trust instead of defensiveness. • Knowing your limits — Clear signals for when a situation needs to move beyond classroom-level response to counseling, administration, or outside support.
Summit Guests
President, Early Learning Foundation & 30 year educator in Special Education and Administration
School Counselor, Hempfield School District & Author, "Lives Worth Living: Applying Zero Suicide as a Prevention Approach for Schools"
Founder, Speaker, and Author, Ryan's Story: Bullying and Suicide Prevention Presentations That Save Lives
Kat has passionately served as a student and educator advocate for over 20 years in the roles of coach, student council advisor, school counselor at the secondary level and financial aid counselor/coordinator of student employment and adjunct professor at the post-secondary level. Through Kat’s leadership, her school counseling department received both state and national recognition, including ASCA RAMP recognition in 2020. Kat has facilitated professional development and learning with various state and national associations, along with individual schools and districts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Masters in Education in Student Affairs and School Counseling from Northern Arizona University. Kat was named the ASCA 2016 School Counselor of the Year and Northern Arizona University’s President’s Alumni Awardee in 2021.
Ashley is a Director of School Supports at CharacterStrong and has over ten years of experience in education. She started her career as an elementary teacher and then served as a school counselor at both the elementary and middle school levels. During her time as a school counselor, she advocated for students and the school counseling profession through her involvement in her district's school counseling leadership team and her state's Government Relations Committee. In 2022, she was recognized as her district's Middle School Counselor of the Year. Ashley is passionate about working with fellow educators as they support students with character development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have question? We are here to help!
Are the sessions live?
No, all of the interviews are pre-recorded videos and available for you to watch at your convenience.
When will the content be available?
The videos will be sent out around 5am on October 14th, and will be available for an entire week.
Is this event free to attend?
Yes. This is a free, virtual event and all content will be available asynchronously on-demand.
Dr. Loretta Whitson is the founder and executive director of the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), the second-largest state association representing school counselors in the nation.
Dr. Loretta Whitson Founder and Executive Director of the California Association of School Counselors
Lezya Weglarz wears many hats in the school counseling profession. She currently serves as a Project Specialist for the San Diego County Office of Education where she supports K12 School Counseling across San Diego County.
Lezya Weglarz Project Specialist, San Diego County Office of Education
Lauren is a school counselor at Cambridge Elementary in San Antonio, TX, a 2019 National School of Character. She is currently in her 17th year as a school counselor and serves as the Texas Coordinator for Character.org.
Lauren Boyher School Counselor, Cambridge Elementary & Texas Coordinator for Character.org
Matthew McClain has been a school counselor in rural Northeast Colorado since 2005. He spent 10 years counseling at the 5th and 6th grade level, then spent 6 years at the high school level, and is currently at the elementary level since 2021.
Matthew McClain School Counselor & the Executive Director for the Colorado School Counselor Association
Meet the Speakers & Presenters
More Speakers Coming Soon!
Your Hosts For The Summit
Dr. Clay Cook
Dr. Clay Cook is the Chief Development Officer at CharacterStrong and is an implementation scientist, psychologist, and former paraprofessional and middle school math teacher. He has spent the past 15 years working in partnership with school systems across the country to support the implementation of effective practices that promote better and more equitable outcomes for students. He has been a professor and researcher at three universities (Louisiana State University, University of Washington and University of Minnesota) studying topics such as implementation of evidence-based practices, educator well-being and resilience, and youth mental health. He has obtained over 20 million dollars in grant funding for his research and published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles. For his work, he has been invited to the White House and served on expert panels with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Education.
Dr. Alisha Hill
Dr. Ruth Alisha Hill is an educational leader, teacher, author, and coach. Dr. Ruth serves as the Executive Director of Professional Services here at CharacterStrong. Prior to taking on this role, she served the students and staff of Gwinnett County Public Schools as the Director of Social Emotional Learning. During her tenure in GCPS, she also served as a Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Coordinator in the office of Human Resources and as a Staff Development Coordinator overseeing Mentor Gwinnett, Educational Responsiveness, and School Support. Dr. Ruth is an experienced educator, who has a diverse background working in rural, urban, secondary, and post-secondary school settings. For over 22 years, she has played a key role in student leadership, teacher mentoring, culturally responsive teaching and educational equity. Having served as a teacher, Academy Leader, Adjunct Professor, Literacy Coordinator, and Director of Programs, Dr. Ruth leverages her on-the-ground experience in advancing student engagement and educator effectiveness. She presents research and facilitates learning focused on coaching, student agency, academic effort, psychological safety, culturally responsive teaching, wellness, and character development.
