In-Service Workshops

This 90-minute workshop explores the social construct of gender, with interactive exercises for participants to better understand one’s own gender identity as well as gender expression, and most importantly, how this information can best support young individuals. A focus of the workshop will be discussing gender pronouns and answering some of the most frequently asked questions that include:

• What are binary and gender-neutral pronouns?
• How can faculty and staff introduce their own gender pronouns when speaking with students?
• What do I do if I misgender someone?
• What are some best practices when it comes to fostering inclusive conversations?

The Growth Mindset model was developed by psychologist Carol Dweck more than 20 years ago. It has proven itself to be a very effective way of helping students of all ages manage the challenges of any skill or task, including how to cope with imperfections and mistakes. Perhaps a good way of describing this model is to throw away the adage “Practice makes perfect” and instead say “Practice makes progress.” The Growth Mindset model addresses this, and this presentation covers how it does so. This workshop is 75 – 90 minutes.

Increasingly, data suggests that exposing youth to large amounts of time in front of screens (TV, computer, tablet, or smartphone) can have negative effects on physical and mental development including issues with memory, attention, and language skills. This workshop is designed to provide the tools and vocabulary needed for children and adolescents to make wise choices about balancing daily screen use while focusing more attention on exercise and nutrition.

Russ Terry has been documenting a different expression of gratitude every day for ALMOST ELEVEN YEARS, since 12/10/12. These almost 4,000 straight days of being grateful have had an infinitely positive impact on his life. In this workshop, he will teach you how you can use gratitude to improve your life too. As a result of attending, you will articulate up to 20 unique expressions of gratitude and the lessons you learned from being grateful.

"Who wants to get suspended?" This one-hour workshop engages current/graduating high school seniors' and provides them with honest/"real world" information about college success OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, in RESIDENCE HALLS, and WORKING WITH COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION. This interactive conversation emphasizes safety, what to expect when you get to college, and community expectations including but not limited to alcohol and other drugs, noise, damage, and all the typical things that plainly speaking, first-year college students find themselves getting into trouble with. This workshop can also be done for high school administration and designed to encourage practitioners to think about what information they most want students to understand as they prepare for higher education.

With an increasing number of children experiencing elevated anxiety levels, this workshop aims to support parents in identifying red flags, symptoms, and indicators that their child(ren) may be struggling to regulate and manage big feelings. We will explore the difference between developmental expectations and challenges vs. signs of elevated anxiety, along with the role the brain plays in the experience of emotion, and ways to help support and co-regulate with our children when they are struggling. Finally, we will review ways to proactively communicate with our kids in order to promote healthy understanding and expression of all emotions. This workshop is available for staff and parents.

Explore digital wellness from a student perspective as a young scholar and psychology researcher at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will bring to life the story, science, and voice of Generation Z in a digital era. This workshop involves an interactive, collaborative style of learning that involves elements of Keegan's personal advocacy journey, an in-depth summary of how the brain reacts to social media, and how the social media algorithm is wired to engage attention. Keegan will highlight the importance of human connection in a growing digital era, and how parents and educators can promote a healthy tech/life balance.

Focusing on the importance of intervening early when students show a pattern of missing school or arriving late, this workshop explores the dynamics of excessive absenteeism and truancy, including why students do not come to school. Resources available through the courts and social service agencies are detailed. This presentation is only available to school staff and administrators.

Most people are not as confident as they could be. In this workshop, you will do an initial assessment of your confidence and then learn ways to boost your confidence. You will also articulate the benefits of added confidence and how you can STAY confident.

Professionals working in the field of special education face the often challenging task of working with colleagues from different training and theoretical backgrounds to help students accomplish their educational, social, behavioral and functional goals. During this workshop, we will define collaboration, discuss how to adopt a collaborative mindset, and recommend specific collaborative behaviors for maintaining positive professional relationships with members of our teams while effectively working together to help students reach their goals.