Cultivating Staff Well-Being

Support your educators, elevate your school staff culture

“

When educators feel valued and equipped to manage stress, we see higher job satisfaction, stronger teacher-student connections, and a culture of trust that drives engagement and retention.

— Christina Rodriguez, MA
Whole Child Health National Advisor, Trauma-Informed Approaches

Our evidence-based approach helps schools:

Reduce stress and burnout

Learn sustainable skills to maintain personal wellness

Create gratitude practices

Provide opportunities for peer-to-peer gratitude practices that foster a culture of appreciation amongst colleagues

Build connections

Form meaningful relationships and enhance school connectedness

Foster positive work cultures

Manage workloads, foster mutual trust, enhance meaning and impact, provide structure and clarity, and promote psychological safety

Establish relaxation zones

Create and improve staff break areas to promote emotional regulation and resilience

Get Recognized for Cultivating Staff Well-Being

Meet these criteria to qualify as one of America’s Healthiest Schools.

1

Our school break space:

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing each one of these things. Learn how >

✅ Nice going! The award application will ask you to provide:

  • Provide a list of school space(s) for staff breaks. For each staff space include whether instructional staff, non-instructional staff, or both may easily access the space for breaks throughout the workday.
  • Select the items provided in your staff break space(s) that encouraged relaxation, fostered positive staff interactions, and allowed for acute stress management.
  • Describe how the selected items in your staff break space(s) reduced stress and increased well-being and resilience for both instructional staff and non-instructional staff.

2

Our school:

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing all of these.
Find resources to help >

✅ Great job! The award application will ask you to:

  • Describe at least two (2) free or low-cost all-staff events and how each event promoted positive relationships among colleagues (e.g., potlucks, coffee talks, or celebrations).
  • Upload at least one (1) document sent to staff promoting a free or low-cost event that promoted relationship-building hosted by your school team.
  • Describe at least two (2) relationship-building activities used to start an all-staff meeting and how each activity promoted positive relationships among colleagues (e.g., icebreakers, connection questions, pair-shares, or team-building activities).
  • Upload at least one (1) relationship-building activity used to start an all-staff school meeting that promoted relationship building among colleagues.

3

Our school:

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing all of these.
Find resources to help >

✅ Great job! The award application will ask you to:

  • Describe how your school team implemented a formal and continuous gratitude practice, where all teachers and staff are encouraged to express gratitude to each other throughout the school year.
  • Describe how your school team provided professional learning on the importance of gratitude to all staff, assessed staff gratitude styles, and aligned gratitude strategies to preferred styles (e.g., public recognition, private recognition, acts of services, notes and gifts).
  • Upload at least one (1) guidance document sent to all school staff on how to use your formal and continuous gratitude practice throughout the school year, including the importance of giving and receiving gratitude and using preferred gratitude styles.
Could you be one of America's Healthiest Schools?

Let’s make your vision a reality!
My team is here to help you become one of America’s Healthiest Schools.

—Naomi, Member Engagement & Support Team

Call 888-543-4584, book a chat, or send an email

Resources to Cultivate Staff Well-Being

Building Staff Relaxation Zones

In this 10-minute microlearning, create spaces for staff to regulate and relax. Reduce stress and interact with colleagues as your team takes breaks throughout the workday. Developed in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.

Explore Other Topics

School Health Services
Health Education
Local School Wellness Policy
Social-Emotional Health & Learning
Nutrition & Food Access
Tobacco-Free Schools
Physical Education & Activity
Family & Community Engagement
Staff Well-Being