In-Service Workshops

A core need for children is the need for belonging and one of the fastest and most direct ways to create belonging, and connection and to develop relational trust is through well-led social play. In today's world, due to more screen time, academic pressures, pandemic realities, and our fast-paced culture, finding the necessary and needed time to play can often be challenging. Howard Moody, Play Specialist and Author of Nurtured Heart Play and The Heart of Play Games Manual and the co-creator of the Adventure Game theater will lead this highly experiential and laughter-filled playshop. Using Energizers, cooperative games, improv theater games and active play Howard will remind everyone that play can be interwoven throughout the educational process. Play, for all ages of students, is an active and real way for students to feel and express their joy and is also a remarkable tool for emotional regulation and learning effective social skills. Play is nature’s training for Life

All schools have bullying response guidelines but sometimes school staff struggle with understanding the causes of bullying. This workshop addresses the dynamics between bullies and victims and explores the role bystanders play. Practical suggestions to deal with bullying will be given. This presentation is only available to school staff and administrators.

This workshop will empower students to transform from bystanders to upstanders by promoting the importance of being an upstander and give them the tools to protect themselves and their friends from bullies.

Every day, educators bear witness to the impacts of trauma in their classroom. Young people share their stories with us through behaviors (acting out, withdrawing, overachieving), attitudes (angry, distracted, anxious), and their own words. We care deeply about our students and creating a safe and supportive learning environment. As teachers, we also have our own stories and our own pain- both past and present. The goal of this workshop is to create a space to acknowledge the cumulative toll bearing witness to trauma can have on us and develop strategies to care for ourselves and support one another in doing this important and impactful work.

Adolescents are commonly targets of attacks, be those attacks through social media, physical violence or emotional manipulation, coercion and blackmail. Prevention is not always possible, but this presentation identifies ways that we can make ourselves less vulnerable - and considers methods of maximizing security and safety.

"What can I do?" It’s a question many are asking right now. This in-service workshop provides participants with an opportunity to discuss and listen to different perspectives to better understand the implications of intention versus impact this question may have. Resources, book recommendations, and takeaway materials will be offered.

So, you started to think about diversity, equity, and inclusion. You may be doing the work, but something needs to be added. It's time to get help and support building your team's capabilities around diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace. Talking about race or sexual orientation can be among the most challenging conversations in schools and workplaces today. However, to disrupt inequity and provide a learning environment for people confronting their privilege, it's necessary to dissect beliefs, mindsets, and behaviors that harm our ability to be effective in true equality. One uncomfortable conversation is nothing compared to the discomfort and fear that some people live with every day. This workshop will strengthen your ability to have challenging conversations to empower folks to communicate about crucial social issues that affect diversity, equity, and inclusion in your schools or workplace. This workshop teaches you the difference between diversity, equity, and inclusion. The difference between equity and equality. How to set up your team for success by figuring out what they need to be successful in doing this work and supporting others. A tailored guide on how to have courageous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in your school or workplace.

In this workshop, participants will learn that a courageous conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion is a process. As you probably know, when you plan a process beforehand, it often goes better. Knowing what steps to take and when will help you have courageous conversations not just at school but also in your personal life. We’ll also discuss the age-old concept of thinking before speaking, and a newer phenomenon called “Inclusion Exhaustion”.

For students to maximize outcomes across home, school, and community, it is integral that parents be considered partners in their child’s education, including behavioral programming that both decreases challenging behavior and promotes skill development. Oftentimes, however, there is a lack of communication between educators and parents that can lead to misunderstandings, frustration and mistrust. As a result, a student’s learning and generalization of skills may be negatively impacted. Bridging the gap between home and school may be done through compassionate communication and collaboration with all team members at school and at home. In this workshop, we will discuss ways to improve our communication and collaboration skills with parents.

What is cultural humility and how can we use the principles of cultural humility in our school? This workshop helps schools learn about cultural humility and how it is part of a continuum of concepts related to overall inclusion and diversity.