Data-Driven Student Wellbeing with Authentic Connections Leaders
Discover how schools can transform their approach to student mental health through comprehensive data collection and relationship-focused interventions. Nina Kumar and Nicole Hager from Authentic Connections share insights on moving beyond crisis response to proactive wellbeing strategies that support entire school communities.
This episode explores the critical shift from reactive dean work—constantly "putting out fires"—to strategic, data-informed decision making that addresses root causes of student struggles. Learn how anonymous surveys reveal hidden challenges affecting marginalized students and provide schools with actionable recommendations for creating authentic connections between students and trusted adults.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to identify wellness challenges that traditional observation methods miss
Strategies for using demographic data to focus intervention efforts effectively
Best practices for surveying students, faculty, and parents to capture comprehensive community perspectives
Methods for building authentic student-adult relationships that prevent crisis situations
Approaches to addressing political polarization and maintaining civil discourse in educational settings
Featured Guests: Nina Kumar combines computer science and psychology expertise as Co-Founder and CEO of Authentic Connections, helping schools understand how climate affects community mental health. Nicole Hager brings nearly 30 years of independent school administration experience, with specialized focus on supporting students of color and LGBTQ+ students in boarding and day school environments.
Recommended Resources: Authentic Connections wellbeing surveys, Dr. Sonya Luther's resilience research, relationship mapping exercises for faculty and students
Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/
Email: bridget@deansroundtable.org
Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/
Student Life Community of Practice: https://www.treyeducation.com/event/student-life-professionals/
The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.
