VDN Fall Conference 2026: Caring for the Caretaker

Join us on October 21st for our Fall Conference: Caring for the Caretaker: Restoring, Sustaining, and Connecting Practices for Educators
About this Event

Conference description and program: Sustaining DEIB work asks a lot from our stores of compassion, courage, resilience, vigilance, patience, and enduring hope. Especially in times of heightened social and political friction, this can fray the edges of our morale and the integrity of our communities. Even the notions of ‘wellness’ and ‘self-care’ get metabolized by a culture intent on making commodities and influencer fodder out of what are meant to be true practices of social repair and personal restoration—what our keynote presenters from The Well Collective of Richmond, VA call “rest as a radical act of resistance, reflection as a pathway to clarity, and connection as the foundation of sustained well-being and collective impact.” In this conference, our presenters and dedicated discussion time will be devoted to reclaiming what’s true and what works in mindfulness, wellness, and restorative practices for those working in the field of DEIB education and school community-building.

Conference program highlights:

• will guide us through applied strategies for mindful presence, restorative practices, and relational wellness to nourish commitment and community in our work as educators and DEIB practitioners.
• Wellness-centered leadership facilitator will be present to share her use of Abuntu Affirmation Cards to align personal well-being, core values, and leadership decisions that transform burnout into healthy strategy.
• Dedicated time will be offered to connect, network, and process conference topics with colleagues over a long, conversational lunch.
• , Assistant Director of Lower School and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Learning, and , Upper School Academic Dean at The Steward School in Richmond, will run a workshop to show how a Restorative Practices approach to community- and culture-building can “help students reflect on their actions, understand how their choices impact others, and take active steps to repair harm in relationships when necessary. Students learn how to take accountability, improve communication, and demonstrate empathy, and they are better able to solve problems.”
• ,  Founder and Principal Consultant of Beneath the Surface Consulting, and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Khan Academy, will share her skills as a life and leadership coach by leading us through a group coaching session on using questions and reflection to build and sustain momentum in both personal and community transformation.