Leadership Symposium

 

 

 

 

As Program Director, Kiran Bhai oversees Making Caring Common’s K-12 and parenting programs, focusing on expanding empathy, justice, and care across differences. Kiran is passionate about education, mental health, and the holistic wellbeing of children and youth. Prior to her time at MCC, Kiran was a school counselor in Massachusetts and New Mexico and worked at several global health nonprofits across the country focusing on mental health. Kiran received her master’s degree in education and counseling from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her Bachelor of Arts in Global Health from Duke University.

 

Dialing Up Connection, Dialing Down Pressure: Building School Cultures of Belonging, Wellbeing, and Purpose
Research increasingly shows that high achievement pressure is linked to rising student anxiety, burnout, and disengagement. This session draws on insights from Making Caring Common’s Turning the Tide to examine how schools can redefine success in ways that better support both performance and wellbeing. Participants will gain practical strategies to dial up purpose, relationships, and connection as an antidote to unhealthy academic pressure. Through an interactive format, we will explore how to create environments where students feel valued, engaged, and motivated by a deeper sense of meaning in their learning and a stronger connection to their school community. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to build more balanced school cultures that support high achievement alongside wellbeing, belonging, and purpose.