AISA is committed to supporting everyone in our community, be they, students or adults, to develop healthy identities, understand and manage emotions, feel empathy for others, establish positive relationships, set and achieve personal as well as collective goals, connect with people from diverse backgrounds, and make responsible decisions. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process to get there, a lifelong process of learning to understand and flourish in our intrapersonal and interpersonal worlds. It is through SEL that we learn critical skills to ensure an equitable, just, and inclusive society in which empathy abounds and all people thrive.
Wellbeing for ALL is AISA’s umbrella programme for all that we do to advance SEL practices in member schools. AISA is grateful to the Wellbeing for ALL Design Team that support the design, implementation and monitoring of this strategic initiative. The members of the Wellbeing for ALL Design Team are:
Our Wellbeing for All programme is a key strategic priority for AISA which is why we are committed to offering world-class professional development that will equip your school to implement initiatives that foster the wellbeing of your entire school community.
To identify wellbeing focused learning events, simply look for the Wellbeing for All symbol that indicates that the webinar or learning event is wellbeing focused.
Following the success of our pilot last year, AISA is once again offering the AISA-NESLI Online Staff Wellbeing Toolkit. This self-paced, low-cost programme enables educators to take a proactive approach to their own wellbeing, as well as support the wellbeing of their school community. With over 85% of AISA participants responding that they would recommend this programme to their colleagues, why not offer this to your most valuable asset, your teachers.
Click here to find out more.
Our learning programme provides educators and counsellors with opportunities to access specialised professional development that will build their knowledge, skills and resources to implement programmes and initiatives that support the wellbeing of their students.
In addition to our own offerings, AISA has developed a partnership with the International School Counsellor Association (ISCA) that provides AISA school counsellors discounted membership and access to a wide range of online courses and webinars. To find out how to access this opportunity, contact Chanel at chanel@aisa.or.ke
The scheduled professional learning events for 2021/22 semester 2 include:
AISA has partnered with the Truman Group who provide consultation groups for two key school roles, the Head of School and School Counsellors. Though the focus of these groups is different, both provide a safe space for peers to connect, support one another and develop knowledge and skills in these vital leadership roles.
To find out more, or express an interest to become involved, contact Chanel at chanel@aisa.or.ke
Are you leading a wellbeing initiative in your school? Then we invite you to join the AISA Wellbeing Discussion Group and connect with other wellbeing leaders in the AISA community. This is a great place to connect, problem-solve, and share resources. Click the below button to join.
JOIN AISA's WELLBEING DISCUSSION FORUM
AISA has a substantial range of wellbeing resources curated from some of the most respected experts in the field. These resources are easily searchable and downloadable to all AISA member schools’ leaders, educators, programme coordinators, and co-professionals responsible for their school’s wellbeing programme.
Browse our Health and Wellbeing Resources
Unfortunately, events occur within the locale of our schools that are outside of the schools’ control, but which can adversely affect our school communities. Traumatic events that may impact AISA schools can include terrorist attacks, coup d’etat, civil unrest, war, communicable disease outbreak, or natural disaster.
These events can cause significant disruption to a school’s operations which can have adverse consequences for the mental health and wellbeing of staff and the entire school community.
AISA can support schools through this time by offering assistance in the form of funds to have trained counsellors from the region travel to the school to provide direct services to children, staff, and parents. Additionally, AISA’s professional development program will include training on issues such as security, traumatic incident planning, and trauma recovery to equip schools in their planning for such an eventuality.
To find out how your school can access support via the AISA Traumatic Incident Fund, contact AISA’s Child Protection and Wellbeing Programme Manager, Chanel Worsteling, at chanel@aisa.or.ke
AISA is working closely with NESLI to provide high-quality professional learning opportunities for leadership teams working in AISA schools. The programmes provide school leaders with the skills, knowledge, frameworks, and confidence to thrive in the complex leadership challenges they face in today’s school environment. NESLI’s professional learning programmes also enable school leaders to benefit from rigorous and evidence-based research.
The Truman Group has come on board to support the wellbeing and professional growth of AISA school heads, counsellors and child protection coordinators through online psychological counselling. The certified and highly experienced consultants at the Truman Group provide counselling on a broad range of issues, including anxiety and depression, trauma, grief and loss, maintaining sobriety, relationship issues, life transitions, and anger and stress management. In addition, the Truman Group also has clinicians on staff who specialize in working with adolescents and children.
AISA has for several years engaged the services of Dr Maria Hersey, the founder & CEO of the Global Education Advisors, to provide empowering professional learning opportunities for educators working in AISA schools. Some of the areas of expertise and professional development support provided by Dr Hersey include Global Competencies, International & Global-Mindedness, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Mindful Awareness as well as Teacher & Student Well-Being.
The International School Counseling Association provides leadership and advocacy for the profession of school counselling in international schools. ISCA provide resources, professional development, and a collaborative network benefiting student success in our global community. We are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of international school counsellors working at international schools.
See all AISA Learning Partners
The Association of International Schools in Africa is dedicated to serving its members throughout Africa during this challenging time. Please let us know if you require additional or specific information, resources and or support, and we will endeavour to assist you as soon as possible.