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Adolescent Mental Wellness in Crisis: What Can High Schools Do?

Thursday, January 18, 2024 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST

Adolescent Mental Wellness in Crisis: What Can High Schools Do?

Presented by Jane Choi, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Committee for Children

Sponsored by Second Step®

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Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

In a recent national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a whopping 60 percent of teen females, 30 percent of teen males, and 52 percent of LGBTQ+ teens reported feeling persistently sad and hopeless in the past year. The survey’s takeaway: “Overall, young people are experiencing a level of trauma and distress that requires action.”

When young people are in distress, they are not able to learn to their potential. Join Committee for Children’s Senior Research Scientist Dr. Jane Choi to explore the mental health crisis facing adolescents today and what high schools can do to support students to thrive and succeed. She explores the science of adolescent development and how both school leaders and educators can strategically strengthen key elements of students’ school experience that contribute to both well-being and academic success. View this edWebinar to learn about:

  • The science of adolescent brain and emotional development
  • What the latest research indicates for how to best support adolescents to thrive in school and in their transition to adulthood
  • Actionable strategies for school leaders and classroom educators to support students’ well-being throughout the school day

Every student—every human—deserves to be supported to be well and do well. With the right approaches, you can make a difference in well-being while also supporting student engagement and motivation. This recorded edWebinar is of interest to high school leaders and educators.

Jane Choi

About the Presenter

Jane Choi, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Scientist on the Education, Research, and Impact Team at Committee for Children. Before joining Committee for Children, she was a researcher at Mathematica for seven years and conducted rigorous impact and implementation evaluations of educator professional development programs and student programs in thousands of classrooms across the nation.

At Committee for Children, Dr. Choi uses intersectional approaches to racial equity to lead research to inform Second Step® SEL for Adults, a professional development program for educators that’s rooted in social-emotional learning. In this work, Dr. Choi bridges her research expertise with her practical experience conducting professional development programs and working as a teacher’s aide in elementary classrooms and as an advisor to pre-service teachers. Dr. Choi has a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s and doctorate in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she taught undergraduate students education and Asian American studies courses.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Mental Health and Wellness community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.


Second Step logoCommittee for Children is a nonprofit on a mission to ensure children everywhere can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. Today, our social-emotional learning (SEL) and child safety programs reach more than 24.4 million children worldwide. Our Second Step® SEL programs include curricula for Early Learning through Grade 8, with additional offerings for out-of-school time and K–12 staff. These research-based programs are designed to help students and adults strengthen social-emotional skills like empathy, resilience, and managing emotions to build a more positive, supportive school climate.


GIF "I want to make friends" says a girl. "I want to solve problems," says a boy. "I want to be a leader," says another girl. Empower kids for life learn more. Second Step Logo

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