Council in Schools The Ojai Foundations Council in Schools (CiS) program provides training and consultation for educators

who wish to integrate the practice of council, a community building practice of authentic expression and empathic, non-judgmental listening and receptivity, into mainstream school curricula, creative arts, instructional strategies, support services, and school communities. ASGL has partnered with CiS since 2010 and the practice of Council has been utilized as part of our Advisory program since the schools inception. At its heart, CiS is an opportunity for students and teachers to tell their stories. Council is a formal, structured process that includes sitting in a circle and passing a talking piece (an object used to identify the speaker) in response to a prompt from the facilitator. In the classroom, teachers and students or use the four intentions of council, as developed by students and facilitators associated with The Ojai Foundation: To listen from the heart: practicing the "art of receptivity:" suspending judgment, reaction, and opinion To speak from the heart and with heart: learning to "speak into the listening" To speak spontaneously without planning and only when holding a talking piece To keep it lean or get to the "heart of the matter" so everyone has time with the talking piece ASGLs guiding principles grew out of these four intentions combined with the four Global Performance Outcomes (SLRS). All teachers at ASGL have received CiS Year One training, and each faculty Professional Development opens with a staff council, usually led by the Principal or a teacher who has completed CiS Year Two Facilitation Training. Monica Chinlund from the LAUSD CiS program visits ASGL monthly to meet with the Leadership class as well and the ASGL Leadership team composed of three CiS Year Two teachers. The CIS focus at ASGL this academic year is focused on the creation of a sustainable Youth Council Leadership program. Toward this end, Middle School (MS) students and High School (HS) students were selected from 6th12th grade advisories to be Youth Council (YC) Leaders based on their interest and potential. A student retreat will take place in November and YC Leaders will then take on CiS Leadership roles on campus in the form of leading and planning councils of their own in class and on campus and in the community. Korean Cultural Center The Korean Education Center in Los Angeles (KECLA) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to fulfilling students' interest in Korean language, culture, and history. KECLA also helps Korean-Americans establish their heritage and identity through various educational programs. Since 2012, the ASGL Korean program has received tremendous support from KECLA. The organization has provided ASGL with 200 textbooks and 200 workbooks. KECLA has donated 5 laptop computers. The organization has donated activities' fees for Korean cultural events such as field trips and the traditional drumming band. KECLA has provided uniforms and snacks for the drumming band. For 2013-2014, KECLA will fund about $5,000 for ASGL's Korean class. As long as ASGL offers its students a Korean program, KECLA will support the school's educational and cultural mission. KECLA also regularly makes available workshops for Korean teachers. I always participate in these workshops to learn more about teaching ASGL students and developing our Korean program. Through these workshops, I am able to meet other Korean teachers and learn about their teaching techniques. These sessions offer me valuable information about exciting teaching strategies and pedagogy.