Ready, Set, Include!

Online & In-person

Volunteer Training for Religious School Inclusion

“Ready, Set, Include!” is an inclusion training program for volunteers in congregational education settings. Schools are invited to identify community members who are interested in providing inclusion support to participate in this year-long training series with a local expert in special education.

  • Dates: From October 2026 to March 2027.
  • Format: Cohort-learning program. Gathers online and in-person.

Build Inclusion Capacity by Embedding Trained Members

In conversation with educators from across the Bay Area, educators have shared with us the struggle to be a truly inclusive school for all learners. Congregational schools often fall short of providing the support needed for children with learning and/or behavioral differences because they don’t have staff who can attend to individualized needs. This program is intended to address this issue by providing training to community members who are interested in developing skills and knowledge to help create an inclusive school community.

Ready, Set, Include! is designed to build capacity in congregational schools by embedding community members who are trained in inclusion.

More About the Program

Through virtual gatherings and on-site visits, program participants will explore topics such as sensory regulation, managing classroom transitions, and behavior and emotional regulation. This program will guide schools in building more consistent, trained community members to work with children who may need additional help in the classroom. Madrichol often fill this role, yet  we know this subset of the staff cannot offer a longer term solution. Therefore, this program is to ideally train community members who are interested in enriching their own learning in order to fill this role in their school in a more longer term capacity.

  • Aimed at: For all those in Bay Area congregations who are interested in deepening their knowledge of inclusion education, and the practices that support all children within their school programs
  • Structure: Year-long cohort. Six 90-min virtual trainings, an on-site visit, optional office hours for support between sessions, and inclusion resources and materials.
  • Facilitated by: Bridget Wellerstein, educational consultant and inclusion expert.

Program Details

Monthly meetings: Gathers monthly from October 2026 to March 2027. The schedule will be coordinated with the registered participants.

Location: Online. Zoom link provided upon registration.

On-site visits will be scheduled with each school upon registration.

Learning Topics Included

  • Inclusion 101: Introduction and Terminology
  • Sensory Regulation and Tools
  • Behavioral/Emotional Regulation & Executive Function/Self-regulation Tools
  • Classroom Schedule and Transition Strategies
  • Classroom Environments and Other Settings
  • Prayer and Social Interaction Support

Registration

Enrollment fee: The cost of series is $180/year for the first participant, and $90 for each additional person from the same congregation.

All trainings at Jewish LearningWorks are subsidized by our generous donors. If the cost is a barrier to your participation, do not hesitate to contact Ellen Lefkowitz at ellen@jewishlearning.works to register with a fee adjustment.

Register Here

Registration is open until September 23, 2026 or until the program is full.

Questions

Please contact Ellen Lefkowitz at ellen@jewishlearning.works for any questions or more information.

About Our Facilitator

Bridget Wellerstein, M.S. Ed., is a Bay Area–based educational consultant with expertise in Universal Design for Learning, Social-Emotional Learning, Media Mentorship, and neurodiverse learning styles. She is a member of the International Research Group on Jewish Education in the Early Years.

Her career spans Early Intervention, Inclusion, and Special Education, including service as Director of Student Support at a large synagogue, as a home visitor for the Regional Center of the East Bay, and as a parent and teacher educator funded by First 5 in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Bridget has lectured at Contra Costa Community Colleges, and California State University, and is an adjunct Professor at American Jewish University.

She is currently a doctoral candidate at the Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership. She holds an M.S. in Education and a B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

At the heart of Bridget’s work is a deeply held conviction: that only when we create genuinely accessible and inclusive environments for all children and families can we build a truly Kehillah Kedoshah.