Name: Positive Childhood Experiences in the K-12 Setting
Start: 2026-07-16T11:10:00-0600
End: 2026-07-16T12:10:00-0600

Welcome to URSA 2026 at Southern Utah University! All sessions will be in buildings on the upper campus (east end). Here’s the Campus Map (PDF) if needed.

Positive Childhood Experiences in the K-12 Setting

Thursday July 16, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT

ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203

As part of my work with the district, I sit on a multi-disciplinary team that focusses on preventive measures to help students and adults make healthy life-style choices. In that work, we have talked a lot about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's), and the lasting impact that trauma can have on one’s life. We have also spent considerable time looking at Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE's), and have learned that they may have a more lasting impact on health and behavior than do ACE’s. One study concluded that “Regardless of the number of ACE’s, PCE’s were associated with lower odds of having mental, emotional, developmental, and behavioral conditions…” (2025 Study of 2022 National Children’s Health Data; 23,133 children). This leads us to believe that The Positive has a lasting impact on each of us! The work of Positive Childhood Experiences is centered in seven areas of which four are directly tied to schools: “enjoying participation in community events; having at-least two non-parent adults who took genuine interest in you; feeling supported by friends; and feeling a sense of belonging in high school.” From this work, it is evident that the experiences a child has in school can and will have a lasting positive impact in their life, to the point that it can outweigh their adverse experiences. But it doesn’t stop there, research is being conducted that shows that the effect of The Positive continues into adulthood and that positive adult experiences, the ones you and I experience in the seasons of our careers as we interact with students in our spheres of influence, may help us to overcome and persevere through life's challenges.In this session, we will look at experiences and interactions from throughout my career, and those of my colleagues, that demonstrate how public schools truly are a setting where students are able to interact with trusting adults in a way that builds resilience and capacity. We will see that in many instances it is because of people like you, dedicated educators, that students obtain the relational resilience they need to overcome adverse childhood experiences. We will reflect together on experiences in our careers where we have been positive influences in the lives of students and together increase our resolve to persevere in this amazing journey of investing ourselves in the lives of young people.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Any of these

Speakers

Phillip Bertoch

Human Resources Director, Duchesene County School District

Phillip Bertoch grew up in Duchesne County and graduated from Union High School in 1987. He is the product of rural schools and understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come from living in, and being educated in, a rural community. He is a thirty year career educator... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT
ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

School-based Mental & Behavioral Health, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Other, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Teachers, Counselors or School-based Mental / Behavioral Health Professionals
Subject Area Mental/Behavioral Health

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2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Phillip Bertoch

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2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Phillip Bertoch

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