Educators were determined to come together IRL (“in real life”) at the 2022 Every Child Counts Symposium, Jan. 12-14.

Around 800 school leaders, teachers and staff from throughout the state made the trip to Palm Desert for the conference, which was held online in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. The theme for this event was “Staying on Course in Real Life,” which acknowledged the tireless work educators in student services and special education have done since the pandemic began.

California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris gave her keynote address to attendees via a livestream that was also shared on social media. Burke Harris spoke about scientific research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how important it is for children experiencing trauma to have loving adults in their lives.

“The work our educators do every day in their nurturing interactions can be powerfully healing, literally down to the level of the DNA,” she said.