The Common Ground Speaker Series delivers a means for schools and school districts to request guest speaker visits from military service organizations in an effort to positively impact student success. These guest speakers provide information about a variety of identified series topics which include, but are not limited to, the following: promoting literacy, substance abuse prevention, anti-bullying, drop-out prevention, the American flag, and patriotic holidays or events.

If you are a school staff member and would like to request that a military service member speaker contact you for the purpose of providing information about identified series topics, please use the Speaker Series request website.

Common Ground Speaker Series participants who will be interacting with students as guest speakers, mentors or recruiters must remain under the supervision of school staff at all times. West Virginia schools will be encouraged to display partner resources and information about career opportunities in schools (such as military enlistment) as approved by the local school district.

• Review Guidance for Schools about the Speaker Series
• Review Guidance for Speaker Series Participants 

Speaker Series participants may review information about the following initiatives, which are being implemented in West Virginia schools to support students through universal prevention, targeted intervention, and intensive supports:

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Additionally, all 55 counties in West Virginia are fully active in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides books to children, ages birth to five. Families with children under the age of 5 may review Imagination Library registration information at https://wvde.us/west-virginias-imagination-library.

WV Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

The goal of WV Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is to make schools effective and efficient and provide equitable learning environments for all students. Decreasing aggressive conduct and bullying can occur through improving culture and climate, building relationships with students and staff, changing academic outcomes and increasing prosocial behaviors. www.wvpbis.org

Expanded School Mental Health (ESMH)

A jointly sponsored effort of the West Virginia Department of Education and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. “Expanded school mental health” refers to programs that build on core services typically provided by schools. ESMH is a framework that: includes the full continuum of prevention, early intervention and treatment; serves all students; and emphasizes shared responsibility between schools and community mental health providers. www.wvesmh.org

Communities in Schools (CIS)

Communities In Schools works inside school systems with superintendents, principals, educators, and other personnel, to forge community partnerships that bring resources into schools and help remove barriers to student learning. www.wvde.us/cis/

WV Guideposts To Graduation

WV Guideposts To Graduation is a West Virginia initiative to ensure all students graduate from high school with a world-class education, who are college and career-ready, with an emphasis on students with disabilities.