The following workshops are available for staff, students and parents. Workshops are offered both in person and via Zoom. MPY requires a minimum of 25 participants for staff workshops and a minimum of 40 participants for parent and caregiver workshops. Exceptions are made on a case by case basis.


 

How Gratitude Will Improve Your Life (Remote Only)

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.
School Assemblies

How to Stay Out of Trouble Without Really Trying

"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.

Identifying Anxiety and Supporting Effective Regulation

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.

iGen's Battle to be Mentally Healthy in a Digital Era (Limited In-Person Availability)

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.
Mental and Behavioral Health

Improving Attendance & Truancy

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.

Increase Your Confidence! (Remote Only)

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.

Interprofessional Collaboration is Key to Effectively Supporting Students

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.
Mental and Behavioral Health

Intervention Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Remote Only)

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) require specialized treatment based on their unique profile of strengths and vulnerabilities. This workshop will discuss effective treatment and intervention strategies that can be used in the classroom. This workshop will present current research and evidence-based practices to foster functional independence in the areas of social communication and interaction, behavioral regulation, and adaptive behavior. Use of supports that enhance academic and educational functioning will also be discussed.
Anti-Racism Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Introduction to Conscious Discipline (Remote Only)

What are some of the challenging behaviors you are dealing with as you teach? Traditional discipline does not always have the desired outcomes we seek. Conscious Discipline utilizes everyday events to cultivate emotional intelligence through a self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning and discipline. Learn what Conscious Discipline is all about and how to apply the concepts in your role as a teacher or as a parent. This workshop is recommended for Preschool through Elementary staff.

Introduction to Sensory Integration Disorders

Many children who may be identified as having behavioral struggles, may actually be managing the needs of their sensory systems. These systems process all of the internal and external stimuli that enter the body and brain throughout the day. By uncovering how each sensory system may be impacted, we can better understand the needs of the children we work with and more easily support their development and success in the classroom.