Teacher Training

The Masonic Student Assistance Program (MSAP) teaches a team approach to student assistance.

MSAP Video

MSAP is an innovative three-day training that builds educators' skills in identifying at-risk students and providing appropriate guidance. Behavior issues are often symptoms of a bigger problem. Because students in distress may not ask for help, it's often up to their teachers to read the signs and intervene before it's too late.

Funded by donations from the California Masonic Foundation, the program is offered to California's public schools at no cost.

MSAP helps good teachers become even better by training them to work as teams. The MSAP approach considers the child as a whole, identifying all the factors that might contribute to the student's behavior or inability to learn. The team collaboration is what leads to a solution, giving these students a greater chance of staying in school and becoming productive members of society.

Who will benefit from attending?

A school district should send four to six workshop participants per school who will form a core MSAP team at their site. Team members should include:

• Administrators
• Counselors
• Teachers (regular and special education)
• School psychologists, school nurses, drug/alcohol abuse assistance providers, and mental health service providers.

The California Masonic Foundation pays all participant expenses for training, materials and meals. School districts are responsible only for providing substitutes for participating teachers.

Registration and information

For more information or to register for a workshop, call the California Masonic Foundation at (415) 292-9139 or download the reservation forms for the three-day training (PDF - 115KB).