From Mississippi to Leadership: A Journey into School Wellness and Belonging

In this episode, Dr. Dennis connects with Dr. Roger Bridges of Building Bridges Consulting, who obtained his doctorate in leadership from USC, and recounts a career that began working with vulnerable youth in residential treatment and grew into roles at independent schools like Branson, Windward, and Echo Horizon. Their path led to consulting work focused on bridging wellness and belonging across K–12 communities.

They discuss practical approaches for school leaders and teachers: proactive community building, frequent touchpoints for dialogue, empowering teachers as CEOs of their classrooms, quick practices like a one-minute mindfulness start, and prioritizing adult self-care to better support students facing conflict, division, and stress.