Current Trainings

Center for Safe Schools Professional Learning and Training

Managing Workplace Stress and Conflict

Social Emotional Learning

Suicide Prevention

Youth Development

Compassion Fatigue: When the Distress of Others Becomes Contagious

Purpose
Compassion fatigue is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion often coupled with increased cynicism and feelings of professional ineffectiveness. It happens slowly over time when professionals are exposed to the traumatic stories of their clients. Education about compassion fatigue is a protective factor and early detection can prevent symptoms from reaching incapacitating levels. Participants in this workshop will explore the signs and symptoms of the onset of compassion fatigue and will learn about prevention techniques and self-care strategies.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Understand the characteristics of compassion fatigue (CF), secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious trauma
  • Understand how and why CF, STS and vicarious trauma develop
  • Be aware of who is most at risk for developing CF
  • Understand what happens to educator effectiveness if CF goes untreated
  • Be able to identify self-care practices and personal areas for growth

Course Length
3.0 hours, 2.0 hours or 90 minutes

Target Audience
It is designed for helping professionals and emergency responders.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 3.0 hours Act 48

Effectively Managing Conflict in the Workplace

Purpose
Many people and organizations view conflict as something to be avoided. Yet conflict, differences and disagreements are natural results of people working together. Conflict can also be a catalyst that brings about necessary change: without it, teams can become complacent and not perform at optimum levels. This workshop explores the nature of conflict, the ways people handle it and new strategies that will help bring about stronger working relationships and better solutions and ideas.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Understand the impact of conflict in the workplace
  • Identify their conflict styles and learn the benefits and limitations of each style
  • Learn strategies for managing conflict effectively in the workplace

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for all working professionals.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Continuing Education Credit
None

The Art of Difficult Conversations

Purpose
The majority of research on bullying focuses on its prevalence, causes and appropriate prevention and intervention responses for school-aged children. However, recent studies examine bullying behaviors that are exhibited by preschool-aged children. Preschool children, like older children, are capable of direct and indirect bullying behaviors. Young children who are victimized by their peers report being fearful of other children, are vulnerable to future episodes of victimization and are anxious about going to school. Participants in this workshop will learn bullying prevention strategies tailored for early childhood and will examine approaches to enhance their social and emotional learning.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Identify 3 criteria that make up difficult conversations
  • Examine intent versus impact on communication
  • Reframe conversations, utilizing a third person learning approach and listening with curiosity
  • Identify strategies for problem-solving

Course Length
2 hours or half day

Target Audience
This training is designed for adults in any type of group setting or organization.

Facilities
Flexible or small group seating is preferred along with room for activities, microphone for large groups, screen, LCD projector, laptop, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
None

Career Readiness: Balancing Employability and 21st Century Skills

Purpose
The career readiness of high school and college graduates is an important subject in higher education, in the labor market, and in the public arena. Schools and business communities must collaborate and align to ensure a workforce that is prepared to sustain economic growth and innovation. To be productive members of a globally competitive workforce, students not only need to thrive academically but they also need to develop social and emotional competencies, often referred to as “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence.” In fact, research suggests that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of work performance, accounting for 58% of success in all fields. This workshop will present the essential elements for employability. Participants will also explore a variety of tools that can be used in the classroom to help prepare our students for success beyond high school.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Understand global labor market and regional workforce needs
  • Define career readiness and identify key competencies
  • Detail social emotional proficiencies and soft skills essential for employability
  • Articulate the steps to a successful transition from school to career
  • Collaborate to align goals between schools and employers and to identify school-to-work partnerships
  • Learn a variety of research-based practices for developing career ready skills

Course Length
Flexible (half day or full day)

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for school personnel, business leaders and community members, higher education representatives

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Cultivating Empathy for Healthy Relationships and Collaborative Classrooms

Purpose
The ability to empathize is an important part of social and emotional development, affecting an individual’s behavior toward others and the quality of social relationships. This training will challenge participants to examine their own empathy skills and will focus on practical and engaging activities and discussions that participants can have with their students to help develop empathy and perspective-taking in the classroom.

This training has been aligned with PA Core Standards, Academic Standards for Career Education and Work and Standards for Student Interpersonal Skills.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Be able to define empathy and how it differs from sympathy
  • Understand why empathy is important for healthy relationships
  • Understand the factors that contribute to diminished empathy
  • Become aware of their own strengths and opportunities for improvement as they relate to empathy
  • Understand the components of effective programming that cultivate empathy in students

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and helping professionals but can be modified for parents or caregivers.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 6.0 hours of Act 48 and NASW

Enhancing Social Emotional Learning Through Parent Involvement

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and handle challenging situations constructively (www.CASEL.org). This training will focus on engaging parents to become more active in their children’s education and social emotional development. Parents will learn strategies to foster social emotional learning and increase youth resilience so they are prepared with skills to thrive academically and in life.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Effective strategies to help young children recognize, label and manage emotions
  • Techniques for teaching young children emotional vocabulary
  • Strategies to assist young children with perspective taking

Course Length
1.5 hours to half day

Target Audience
The training is designed for parents, organizations, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 4.0 hours of Act 48

I Can Problem Solve Implementation Training – Raising a Thinking Child

I Can Problem Solve recognizes the importance of administrators, student support personnel and parents to program success. As a result, parent educators should plan to attend the one-day Raising a Thinking Child implementation training.

Request a Training

I Can Problem Solve Implementation Training and Training of Trainers

Approved ICPS trainers can offer one- and two-day training models, with customized follow-up consultation built into training contracts.

Implementation Training
I Can Problem Solve recognizes the importance of administrators, student support personnel and parents to program success. As a result, non-implementing staff members should plan to attend the implementer training or one-day training designed specifically for administrators, counselors and psychologists.

Training of Trainers
The two-day training is designed for implementers and includes either onsite or off-site coaching.

Request a Training

IQ or EQ: Which One Matters Most?

Purpose
Emotional intelligence is often overlooked in favor of traditional intelligence measures (IQ). However, your emotional quotient (EQ) is a key part of well-rounded leadership and professionalism. Individuals who intentionally develop emotional skills and model emotionally intelligent behavior on a daily basis experience more success and satisfaction in their professional careers and personal lives. According to Harvard Business Review, emotional intelligence is “the key attribute that distinguishes outstanding performers,” and is the leading differentiator between employees whose IQ and technical skills are approximately the same. This workshop will help participants gain a greater understanding of emotional intelligence and its significance to workplace and life success. Participants will have the opportunity to discover their strengths and learn new ways to grow these skills.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Define emotional intelligence (EQ versus IQ)
  • Provide characteristics of an emotionally intelligent individual
  • Gain awareness’ of strengths and opportunities for growth
  • Learn strategies that help build EQ skills
  • Develop an action plan for implementation within the participant’s context

Course Length
Flexible (half day or full day)

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for all working professionals.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Leveraging Empathy in Educational Settings: A Mindful Approach

Purpose
Working in education is both rewarding and stressful. The field faces obstacles that often seem outside of our control. When we find ways to support our own social and emotional well-being we discover opportunities for self-reflection, acceptance and compassion. In this session we will uncover research on the benefits of mindfulness as it relates to self-efficacy, classroom climate and student interaction. We will practice some simple strategies and talk about the ways this approach might fit into your own teaching philosophy so that you can build a happy healthy climate in your classroom.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Explore the research around social emotional learning and its impact on classroom behaviors and outcomes
  • Understand the practice of mindfulness and its benefits through discussion and video demonstrations as it relates to children as well as to teachers
  • Become familiar and comfortable with some simple mindful strategies through practice
  • Discover ways in which educators can lower their stress and improve children’s experiences in their classrooms

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and direct staff working with children

Mindful Leadership: Leveraging Empathy and Compassion in Your Organization

Purpose
Leading in education is both rewarding and stressful. The field faces obstacles that often seem outside of our control. When we find ways to support our own social and emotional well-being as well as that of our teachers and staff we find that morale and organizational climate can change for the better. In this session we will uncover research on the benefits of mindfulness as it relates to leadership, to teaching and to children. We will practice some simple strategies and talk about the ways this approach might fit into your own leadership philosophy so that you can build a happy healthy climate in your organization.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Become aware of the research around social emotional learning and its implications for staff and children
  • Understand strategies to lower stress and improve children’s experiences in their classrooms and programs
  • Become familiar and comfortable with some simple mindful strategies through practice.
  • Develop steps and an action plan to implement mindful leadership in our own organizations

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for administrators and leaders who support educators and staff in their organization.

Mindset, Grit and Optimism: Promoting Skills That Lead to Academic Tenacity

Purpose
This training is intended to bring about awareness of noncognitive factors that affect success and to provide very practical techniques that can easily be incorporated into any educational setting in order to help bolster academic tenacity and perseverance for long term goals.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Understand how a student’s mindset affects academic achievement
  • Learn research based strategies for nurturing a growth mindset
  • Learn the importance of grit, self-control and deliberate practice for academic success
  • Become aware of goal-setting and planning techniques that are more likely to cultivate self-control and produce goal attainment
  • Understand the concepts of pessimism and optimism and how they affect resiliency
  • Learn basic cognitive techniques that can challenge negative thoughts and produce optimism over time

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and helping professionals but can be modified for parents and caregivers.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 6.0 hours of Act 48 and NASW

Motivating Youth and Building Skills for Life: Implementing Social Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time

Purpose
Afterschool programs have long supported skill-building and positive development in children and youth and can be an effective setting for supporting SEL because of the flexibility they have in their programming. By incorporating social emotional learning programs into afterschool programs, youth benefit from improved self-perception, positive social behaviors, reductions in student discipline, and increased achievement and attendance. SEL programming in afterschool programs can also contribute to increased employability skills and career readiness. This workshop will introduce SEL skills and highlight strategies that can be implemented specifically for the OST environment.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Identify SEL competencies and curriculum features important for SEL skill development
  • Identify SEL strategies which can be implemented in the OST environment
  • List specific components of effective SEL practices in OST

Course Length
1.5 hrs or half day

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and helping professionals who work in afterschool settings.

Facilities
Flexible or small group seating is preferred along with room for activities, microphone for large groups, screen, LCD projector, laptop, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
None

SEL Self-Management Skills: Helping Young Children Regulate Emotions

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively (www.CASEL.org). During this workshop participants will learn strategies to assist young children with self-management, the ability to regulate emotions, control impulses, thoughts and behaviors successfully in different situations. They will also learn specific activities to foster self-management skills and be provided with resources to work with young children.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • List effective strategies that help young children recognize, label and manage emotions
  • Identify techniques to teach young children emotional vocabulary
  • Apply strategies to assist young children with perspective taking

Course Length
1.0 to 3.0 hours

Target Audience
The workshop is designed for organizations, preschools, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Flexible classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration 
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 3.0 hours of Act 48

A Story to Share: Fostering Social Emotional Learning and Inspiring Children Through Shared Reading

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and handle challenging situations constructively. When we read to children we have a wonderful opportunity for fostering social emotional learning. Shared reading allows children to connect with the reader and feel empowered by the contributions they are making to the story, which stimulates their learning.

Participants will learn skills for engaging children in shared book reading; approaches for dialoguing with children while reading to foster oral language, vocabulary comprehension and emergent literacy skills. Techniques to create deeper social emotional learning experiences for children will also be covered, including: studying the story illustrations and asking children how characters might feel, discussing alternatives to how a character might feel, asking children how they might feel in a similar situation, asking open-ended questions which allow the child to do the thinking and questions that help children make connections between stories they are reading and real life events.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of developing children’s social emotional learning skills
  • Identify techniques for engaging children in shared book reading
  • Identify approaches for encouraging children to gain deeper meaning from the stories they hear

Course Length
Half or full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for organizations, school counselors, parents, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Supporting the Social and Emotional Needs of Newcomers and English Learners

Purpose
Educators are becoming increasingly aware of the link between social and emotional competencies and academic achievement, healthy relationships and responsible decision-making. Social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits all students and yet the needs of newcomers and English learners (ELs) are different because they often experience additional stressors that add to the complexity of learning and adjusting to a new environment. As such, social and emotional learning is critically important to EL instruction. This workshop will present why and how schools can contribute to the development of newcomers and ELs’ social emotional well-being. Specific emphasis will be placed on practical strategies and skill-building activities that can be woven into everyday lessons to help build student confidence, lower anxiety and encourage healthy connections with others.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Provide an overview of stressors specific to newcomers and EL students
  • Explain the five concepts central to social emotional development and the four types of social emotional supports
  • Describe the approaches to integrating social emotional and academic programs
  • Learn school-wide and classroom tools for implementation
  • Detail ideas for conflict resolution and problem solving

Course Length
Flexible (can be anywhere from 90 minutes to full day)

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for all school personnel including teachers, administrators, support staff and non-instructional school professionals

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Teach Me How to Think: Assisting Parents to Foster Their Child’s Social Emotional Learning Development

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the way in which a child experiences, expresses and manages emotions. This workshop will familiarize participants with a social emotional learning program called, I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) and the parent program, Raising a Thinking Child (RaTC) developed by Dr. Myrna Shure. The ICPS program teaches young children how to think not what to think so they are more able to make responsible decisions.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Explore how the Raising a Thinking Child (RaTC) program may enhance parenting skills and foster youth social emotional development
  • Offer strategies that parents can use for dialoguing with children to teach them the skills necessary for problem solving

Course Length
1.5 to 3.0 hours

Target Audience
The workshop is designed for organizations, parents, school counselors, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Registration
Registration for this workshop is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 3.0 hours of Act 48

Lifelines™ Prevention: A Suicide Prevention Program

Purpose
Lifelines Prevention program is a comprehensive school based approach to adolescent suicide prevention. The Lifelines prevention program consists of four components: administrative readiness consultation, training for school faculty and staff, a parent workshop and student curriculum. The Lifelines Prevention program targets the entire school community by providing suicide awareness materials for administrators, faculty and staff, parents and students. The main goal of the Lifelines Prevention programs is to assist everyone in the school community with recognizing when a student is at potential risk of suicide and helping them to understand how and where to access help.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to instruct faculty and staff on how to respond initially to potentially suicidal students and know how to obtain help rapidly for them to increase the likelihood that:

  • Members of the school community can more readily identify potentially suicidal adolescents
  • Troubled adolescents are aware of and have immediate access to helping resources and seek such help as an alternative to suicidal actions

Course Length
Half to full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for faculty and staff.

Required Materials
The Lifelines Prevention Curriculum must be purchased by the participants. Purchasing information is available at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Lifelines™ Intervention: Helping Students At Risk for Suicide

Purpose
Lifelines Intervention is a school based three tiered intervention model to prevent suicide. The first tier involves early identification and assessment of at-risk students, the second tier includes referral to community resources for additional support services and the third tier enhances protective factors which increase resilience and provide defense against stressors.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Provide context for contemporary societal values and attitudes about suicide by reviewing suicide from a historical perspective
  • Highlight the role of personal values and experiences in the assessment and intervention process
  • Present epidemiological information about suicide risk to facilitate early identification of at-risk students
  • Review a protocol for an assessment interview
  • Outline strategies for engaging students and parents in the assessment and referral process
  • Call attention to special categories of students who may be at an elevated suicide risk

Course Length
Full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for school counselors, school psychologists, school psychiatrists and mental health liaisons.

Required Materials
The Lifelines Intervention Curriculum must be purchased by the participants. Purchasing information is available at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
8.0 hours of Act 48

Lifelines™ Postvention: Responding to Suicide and Other Traumatic Death

Purpose
Lifelines Postvention is a comprehensive program that helps school communities respond to adolescent suicide and other traumatic death. The Lifelines Postvention program focuses on school response with practical and specific guidelines, addresses the developmental needs of elementary, middle and high school students, targets identified needs of competent community members and aligns with best practices in comprehensive safe schools planning. Lifelines Postvention outlines a research based model to assist in the development of policies and procedures for structuring the school’s response and presents a toolbox of practical response options that reflects the developmental needs of students.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Describe the history and evaluation results of Lifelines Postvention
  • Review theoretical foundation of the Lifelines Postvention model
  • Clarify the roles of competent community members in postvention
  • Outline the roles and responsibilities of the crisis team
  • Identify situations that present postvention challenges
  • Use the Lifelines Postvention resources found in the manual and on the CD-ROM

Course Length
Half or full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for administrators and crisis team members.

Required Materials
The Lifelines Postvention Curriculum must be purchased by the participants. Purchasing information is available at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training

Purpose
Act 71 of 2014 requires school staff to receive four hours of suicide awareness and prevention training every five years, beginning with the 2015-16 school year. This training, conducted by certified Lifelines™ trainers, meets Act 71 requirements. Lifelines™ is a comprehensive program that helps school communities prevent and respond to adolescent suicide and other traumatic death. The Suicide Awareness and Prevention training focuses on school response with practical and specific guidelines, addresses the developmental needs of elementary, middle and high school students, targets identified needs of competent community members and aligns with best practices in comprehensive safe schools planning. This training will equip participants with the knowledge required by Act 71 of 2014.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Provide suicide awareness for all staff
  • Recognize the risks associated with suicide for students
  • Provide best practices information on reporting and response
  • Review sample best practice suicide policy guidelines and best practices in age appropriate prevention for each grade level
  • Provide strategies for intervening, providing appropriate resources and referring for additional help from competent community members

Course Length
4.0 hours or two part series, each 2.0 hours

Target Audience
The training is designed for administrators, crisis team members, faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 4.0 hours of Act 48

Dynamic Youth Mentoring

Purpose
Participants of the this training will understand the youth mentoring role within the Student Assistance Program (SAP) process or as part of the services provided through the school districts counseling department. Participants will comprehend laws relevant to educators and mentors, identify strength based approaches for working with students to foster resiliency and recognize characteristics of dysfunctional/struggling families.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Discuss strategies to enhance youth protective factors
  • Examine effective youth mentoring techniques within a school or agency setting with an understanding of confidentiality and mandated reporting requirements
  • Engage in varied learning methods including role-play, didactic and applied learning techniques

Course Length
Half to full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for SAP team members, faculty and staff.

Facilities
Flexible classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Youth Leadership Institute

Purpose
During this institute, participants explore leadership traits, examine the seven types of power and learn the difference between power, influence and authority. They will examine the Dangerous Systematic Process beginning with negative assumptions and potentially leading to prejudice. Participants will identify communication and conflict styles and explore strategies for peaceful conflict resolution and engage in teambuilding activities to reflect the team approach to leadership development.

Objectives
Upon completion of this institute participants will be able to:

  • Recognize negative assumptions to illustrate the importance of confronting negative assumptions before they can lead to negative forms of stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, racism/homophobia, scapegoating and genocide
  • Examine leadership qualities and explore variations of power, influence and authority
  • Participate in hands-on activities to facilitate critical thinking, leadership and proactive communication strategies

Course Length
Half to full day

Target Audience
The institute is designed for youth in grades 6-12.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this institute.

Registration
Registration for this institute is the responsibility of the host organization.

Certificate
A certificate of participation/completion will be available.

Current Trainings

Center for Safe Schools Professional Learning and Training

Managing Workplace Stress and Conflict

Compassion Fatigue: When the Distress of Others Becomes Contagious

Purpose
Compassion fatigue is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion often coupled with increased cynicism and feelings of professional ineffectiveness. It happens slowly over time when professionals are exposed to the traumatic stories of their clients. Education about compassion fatigue is a protective factor and early detection can prevent symptoms from reaching incapacitating levels. Participants in this workshop will explore the signs and symptoms of the onset of compassion fatigue and will learn about prevention techniques and self-care strategies.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Understand the characteristics of compassion fatigue (CF), secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious trauma
  • Understand how and why CF, STS and vicarious trauma develop
  • Be aware of who is most at risk for developing CF
  • Understand what happens to educator effectiveness if CF goes untreated
  • Be able to identify self-care practices and personal areas for growth

Course Length
3.0 hours, 2.0 hours or 90 minutes

Target Audience
It is designed for helping professionals and emergency responders.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 3.0 hours Act 48

Effectively Managing Conflict in the Workplace

Purpose
Many people and organizations view conflict as something to be avoided. Yet conflict, differences and disagreements are natural results of people working together. Conflict can also be a catalyst that brings about necessary change: without it, teams can become complacent and not perform at optimum levels. This workshop explores the nature of conflict, the ways people handle it and new strategies that will help bring about stronger working relationships and better solutions and ideas.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Understand the impact of conflict in the workplace
  • Identify their conflict styles and learn the benefits and limitations of each style
  • Learn strategies for managing conflict effectively in the workplace

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for all working professionals.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Continuing Education Credit
None

Social Emotional Learning

The Art of Difficult Conversations

Purpose
The majority of research on bullying focuses on its prevalence, causes and appropriate prevention and intervention responses for school-aged children. However, recent studies examine bullying behaviors that are exhibited by preschool-aged children. Preschool children, like older children, are capable of direct and indirect bullying behaviors. Young children who are victimized by their peers report being fearful of other children, are vulnerable to future episodes of victimization and are anxious about going to school. Participants in this workshop will learn bullying prevention strategies tailored for early childhood and will examine approaches to enhance their social and emotional learning.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Identify 3 criteria that make up difficult conversations
  • Examine intent versus impact on communication
  • Reframe conversations, utilizing a third person learning approach and listening with curiosity
  • Identify strategies for problem-solving

Course Length
2 hours or half day

Target Audience
This training is designed for adults in any type of group setting or organization.

Facilities
Flexible or small group seating is preferred along with room for activities, microphone for large groups, screen, LCD projector, laptop, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
None

Career Readiness: Balancing Employability and 21st Century Skills

Purpose
The career readiness of high school and college graduates is an important subject in higher education, in the labor market, and in the public arena. Schools and business communities must collaborate and align to ensure a workforce that is prepared to sustain economic growth and innovation. To be productive members of a globally competitive workforce, students not only need to thrive academically but they also need to develop social and emotional competencies, often referred to as “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence.” In fact, research suggests that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of work performance, accounting for 58% of success in all fields. This workshop will present the essential elements for employability. Participants will also explore a variety of tools that can be used in the classroom to help prepare our students for success beyond high school.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Understand global labor market and regional workforce needs
  • Define career readiness and identify key competencies
  • Detail social emotional proficiencies and soft skills essential for employability
  • Articulate the steps to a successful transition from school to career
  • Collaborate to align goals between schools and employers and to identify school-to-work partnerships
  • Learn a variety of research-based practices for developing career ready skills

Course Length
Flexible (half day or full day)

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for school personnel, business leaders and community members, higher education representatives

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Cultivating Empathy for Healthy Relationships and Collaborative Classrooms

Purpose
The ability to empathize is an important part of social and emotional development, affecting an individual’s behavior toward others and the quality of social relationships. This training will challenge participants to examine their own empathy skills and will focus on practical and engaging activities and discussions that participants can have with their students to help develop empathy and perspective-taking in the classroom.

This training has been aligned with PA Core Standards, Academic Standards for Career Education and Work and Standards for Student Interpersonal Skills.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Be able to define empathy and how it differs from sympathy
  • Understand why empathy is important for healthy relationships
  • Understand the factors that contribute to diminished empathy
  • Become aware of their own strengths and opportunities for improvement as they relate to empathy
  • Understand the components of effective programming that cultivate empathy in students

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and helping professionals but can be modified for parents or caregivers.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 6.0 hours of Act 48 and NASW

Enhancing Social Emotional Learning Through Parent Involvement

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and handle challenging situations constructively (www.CASEL.org). This training will focus on engaging parents to become more active in their children’s education and social emotional development. Parents will learn strategies to foster social emotional learning and increase youth resilience so they are prepared with skills to thrive academically and in life.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Effective strategies to help young children recognize, label and manage emotions
  • Techniques for teaching young children emotional vocabulary
  • Strategies to assist young children with perspective taking

Course Length
1.5 hours to half day

Target Audience
The training is designed for parents, organizations, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 4.0 hours of Act 48

I Can Problem Solve Implementation Training – Raising a Thinking Child

I Can Problem Solve recognizes the importance of administrators, student support personnel and parents to program success. As a result, parent educators should plan to attend the one-day Raising a Thinking Child implementation training.

Request a Training

I Can Problem Solve Implementation Training and Training of Trainers

Approved ICPS trainers can offer one- and two-day training models, with customized follow-up consultation built into training contracts.

Implementation Training
I Can Problem Solve recognizes the importance of administrators, student support personnel and parents to program success. As a result, non-implementing staff members should plan to attend the implementer training or one-day training designed specifically for administrators, counselors and psychologists.

Training of Trainers
The two-day training is designed for implementers and includes either onsite or off-site coaching.

Request a Training

IQ or EQ: Which One Matters Most?

Purpose
Emotional intelligence is often overlooked in favor of traditional intelligence measures (IQ). However, your emotional quotient (EQ) is a key part of well-rounded leadership and professionalism. Individuals who intentionally develop emotional skills and model emotionally intelligent behavior on a daily basis experience more success and satisfaction in their professional careers and personal lives. According to Harvard Business Review, emotional intelligence is “the key attribute that distinguishes outstanding performers,” and is the leading differentiator between employees whose IQ and technical skills are approximately the same. This workshop will help participants gain a greater understanding of emotional intelligence and its significance to workplace and life success. Participants will have the opportunity to discover their strengths and learn new ways to grow these skills.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Define emotional intelligence (EQ versus IQ)
  • Provide characteristics of an emotionally intelligent individual
  • Gain awareness’ of strengths and opportunities for growth
  • Learn strategies that help build EQ skills
  • Develop an action plan for implementation within the participant’s context

Course Length
Flexible (half day or full day)

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for all working professionals.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Leveraging Empathy in Educational Settings: A Mindful Approach

Purpose
Working in education is both rewarding and stressful. The field faces obstacles that often seem outside of our control. When we find ways to support our own social and emotional well-being we discover opportunities for self-reflection, acceptance and compassion. In this session we will uncover research on the benefits of mindfulness as it relates to self-efficacy, classroom climate and student interaction. We will practice some simple strategies and talk about the ways this approach might fit into your own teaching philosophy so that you can build a happy healthy climate in your classroom.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Explore the research around social emotional learning and its impact on classroom behaviors and outcomes
  • Understand the practice of mindfulness and its benefits through discussion and video demonstrations as it relates to children as well as to teachers
  • Become familiar and comfortable with some simple mindful strategies through practice
  • Discover ways in which educators can lower their stress and improve children’s experiences in their classrooms

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and direct staff working with children

Mindful Leadership: Leveraging Empathy and Compassion in Your Organization

Purpose
Leading in education is both rewarding and stressful. The field faces obstacles that often seem outside of our control. When we find ways to support our own social and emotional well-being as well as that of our teachers and staff we find that morale and organizational climate can change for the better. In this session we will uncover research on the benefits of mindfulness as it relates to leadership, to teaching and to children. We will practice some simple strategies and talk about the ways this approach might fit into your own leadership philosophy so that you can build a happy healthy climate in your organization.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will:

  • Become aware of the research around social emotional learning and its implications for staff and children
  • Understand strategies to lower stress and improve children’s experiences in their classrooms and programs
  • Become familiar and comfortable with some simple mindful strategies through practice.
  • Develop steps and an action plan to implement mindful leadership in our own organizations

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for administrators and leaders who support educators and staff in their organization.

Mindset, Grit and Optimism: Promoting Skills That Lead to Academic Tenacity

Purpose
This training is intended to bring about awareness of noncognitive factors that affect success and to provide very practical techniques that can easily be incorporated into any educational setting in order to help bolster academic tenacity and perseverance for long term goals.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Understand how a student’s mindset affects academic achievement
  • Learn research based strategies for nurturing a growth mindset
  • Learn the importance of grit, self-control and deliberate practice for academic success
  • Become aware of goal-setting and planning techniques that are more likely to cultivate self-control and produce goal attainment
  • Understand the concepts of pessimism and optimism and how they affect resiliency
  • Learn basic cognitive techniques that can challenge negative thoughts and produce optimism over time

Course Length
6.0 hours, half day, shorter workshop or series of workshops

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and helping professionals but can be modified for parents and caregivers.

Facilities
Pod seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers, wireless Internet access and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 6.0 hours of Act 48 and NASW

Motivating Youth and Building Skills for Life: Implementing Social Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time

Purpose
Afterschool programs have long supported skill-building and positive development in children and youth and can be an effective setting for supporting SEL because of the flexibility they have in their programming. By incorporating social emotional learning programs into afterschool programs, youth benefit from improved self-perception, positive social behaviors, reductions in student discipline, and increased achievement and attendance. SEL programming in afterschool programs can also contribute to increased employability skills and career readiness. This workshop will introduce SEL skills and highlight strategies that can be implemented specifically for the OST environment.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Identify SEL competencies and curriculum features important for SEL skill development
  • Identify SEL strategies which can be implemented in the OST environment
  • List specific components of effective SEL practices in OST

Course Length
1.5 hrs or half day

Target Audience
This training is designed for educators and helping professionals who work in afterschool settings.

Facilities
Flexible or small group seating is preferred along with room for activities, microphone for large groups, screen, LCD projector, laptop, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
None

SEL Self-Management Skills: Helping Young Children Regulate Emotions

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively (www.CASEL.org). During this workshop participants will learn strategies to assist young children with self-management, the ability to regulate emotions, control impulses, thoughts and behaviors successfully in different situations. They will also learn specific activities to foster self-management skills and be provided with resources to work with young children.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • List effective strategies that help young children recognize, label and manage emotions
  • Identify techniques to teach young children emotional vocabulary
  • Apply strategies to assist young children with perspective taking

Course Length
1.0 to 3.0 hours

Target Audience
The workshop is designed for organizations, preschools, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Flexible classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration 
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 3.0 hours of Act 48

A Story to Share: Fostering Social Emotional Learning and Inspiring Children Through Shared Reading

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and handle challenging situations constructively. When we read to children we have a wonderful opportunity for fostering social emotional learning. Shared reading allows children to connect with the reader and feel empowered by the contributions they are making to the story, which stimulates their learning.

Participants will learn skills for engaging children in shared book reading; approaches for dialoguing with children while reading to foster oral language, vocabulary comprehension and emergent literacy skills. Techniques to create deeper social emotional learning experiences for children will also be covered, including: studying the story illustrations and asking children how characters might feel, discussing alternatives to how a character might feel, asking children how they might feel in a similar situation, asking open-ended questions which allow the child to do the thinking and questions that help children make connections between stories they are reading and real life events.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of developing children’s social emotional learning skills
  • Identify techniques for engaging children in shared book reading
  • Identify approaches for encouraging children to gain deeper meaning from the stories they hear

Course Length
Half or full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for organizations, school counselors, parents, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Supporting the Social and Emotional Needs of Newcomers and English Learners

Purpose
Educators are becoming increasingly aware of the link between social and emotional competencies and academic achievement, healthy relationships and responsible decision-making. Social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits all students and yet the needs of newcomers and English learners (ELs) are different because they often experience additional stressors that add to the complexity of learning and adjusting to a new environment. As such, social and emotional learning is critically important to EL instruction. This workshop will present why and how schools can contribute to the development of newcomers and ELs’ social emotional well-being. Specific emphasis will be placed on practical strategies and skill-building activities that can be woven into everyday lessons to help build student confidence, lower anxiety and encourage healthy connections with others.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Provide an overview of stressors specific to newcomers and EL students
  • Explain the five concepts central to social emotional development and the four types of social emotional supports
  • Describe the approaches to integrating social emotional and academic programs
  • Learn school-wide and classroom tools for implementation
  • Detail ideas for conflict resolution and problem solving

Course Length
Flexible (can be anywhere from 90 minutes to full day)

Target Audience
This workshop is designed for all school personnel including teachers, administrators, support staff and non-instructional school professionals

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Teach Me How to Think: Assisting Parents to Foster Their Child’s Social Emotional Learning Development

Purpose
Social emotional learning is the way in which a child experiences, expresses and manages emotions. This workshop will familiarize participants with a social emotional learning program called, I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) and the parent program, Raising a Thinking Child (RaTC) developed by Dr. Myrna Shure. The ICPS program teaches young children how to think not what to think so they are more able to make responsible decisions.

Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Explore how the Raising a Thinking Child (RaTC) program may enhance parenting skills and foster youth social emotional development
  • Offer strategies that parents can use for dialoguing with children to teach them the skills necessary for problem solving

Course Length
1.5 to 3.0 hours

Target Audience
The workshop is designed for organizations, parents, school counselors, school districts faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this workshop.

Registration
Registration for this workshop is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 3.0 hours of Act 48

Suicide Prevention

Lifelines™ Prevention: A Suicide Prevention Program

Purpose
Lifelines Prevention program is a comprehensive school based approach to adolescent suicide prevention. The Lifelines prevention program consists of four components: administrative readiness consultation, training for school faculty and staff, a parent workshop and student curriculum. The Lifelines Prevention program targets the entire school community by providing suicide awareness materials for administrators, faculty and staff, parents and students. The main goal of the Lifelines Prevention programs is to assist everyone in the school community with recognizing when a student is at potential risk of suicide and helping them to understand how and where to access help.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to instruct faculty and staff on how to respond initially to potentially suicidal students and know how to obtain help rapidly for them to increase the likelihood that:

  • Members of the school community can more readily identify potentially suicidal adolescents
  • Troubled adolescents are aware of and have immediate access to helping resources and seek such help as an alternative to suicidal actions

Course Length
Half to full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for faculty and staff.

Required Materials
The Lifelines Prevention Curriculum must be purchased by the participants. Purchasing information is available at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Lifelines™ Intervention: Helping Students At Risk for Suicide

Purpose
Lifelines Intervention is a school based three tiered intervention model to prevent suicide. The first tier involves early identification and assessment of at-risk students, the second tier includes referral to community resources for additional support services and the third tier enhances protective factors which increase resilience and provide defense against stressors.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Provide context for contemporary societal values and attitudes about suicide by reviewing suicide from a historical perspective
  • Highlight the role of personal values and experiences in the assessment and intervention process
  • Present epidemiological information about suicide risk to facilitate early identification of at-risk students
  • Review a protocol for an assessment interview
  • Outline strategies for engaging students and parents in the assessment and referral process
  • Call attention to special categories of students who may be at an elevated suicide risk

Course Length
Full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for school counselors, school psychologists, school psychiatrists and mental health liaisons.

Required Materials
The Lifelines Intervention Curriculum must be purchased by the participants. Purchasing information is available at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
8.0 hours of Act 48

Lifelines™ Postvention: Responding to Suicide and Other Traumatic Death

Purpose
Lifelines Postvention is a comprehensive program that helps school communities respond to adolescent suicide and other traumatic death. The Lifelines Postvention program focuses on school response with practical and specific guidelines, addresses the developmental needs of elementary, middle and high school students, targets identified needs of competent community members and aligns with best practices in comprehensive safe schools planning. Lifelines Postvention outlines a research based model to assist in the development of policies and procedures for structuring the school’s response and presents a toolbox of practical response options that reflects the developmental needs of students.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Describe the history and evaluation results of Lifelines Postvention
  • Review theoretical foundation of the Lifelines Postvention model
  • Clarify the roles of competent community members in postvention
  • Outline the roles and responsibilities of the crisis team
  • Identify situations that present postvention challenges
  • Use the Lifelines Postvention resources found in the manual and on the CD-ROM

Course Length
Half or full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for administrators and crisis team members.

Required Materials
The Lifelines Postvention Curriculum must be purchased by the participants. Purchasing information is available at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training

Purpose
Act 71 of 2014 requires school staff to receive four hours of suicide awareness and prevention training every five years, beginning with the 2015-16 school year. This training, conducted by certified Lifelines™ trainers, meets Act 71 requirements. Lifelines™ is a comprehensive program that helps school communities prevent and respond to adolescent suicide and other traumatic death. The Suicide Awareness and Prevention training focuses on school response with practical and specific guidelines, addresses the developmental needs of elementary, middle and high school students, targets identified needs of competent community members and aligns with best practices in comprehensive safe schools planning. This training will equip participants with the knowledge required by Act 71 of 2014.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Provide suicide awareness for all staff
  • Recognize the risks associated with suicide for students
  • Provide best practices information on reporting and response
  • Review sample best practice suicide policy guidelines and best practices in age appropriate prevention for each grade level
  • Provide strategies for intervening, providing appropriate resources and referring for additional help from competent community members

Course Length
4.0 hours or two part series, each 2.0 hours

Target Audience
The training is designed for administrators, crisis team members, faculty and staff.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 4.0 hours of Act 48

Youth Development

Dynamic Youth Mentoring

Purpose
Participants of the this training will understand the youth mentoring role within the Student Assistance Program (SAP) process or as part of the services provided through the school districts counseling department. Participants will comprehend laws relevant to educators and mentors, identify strength based approaches for working with students to foster resiliency and recognize characteristics of dysfunctional/struggling families.

Objectives
Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

  • Discuss strategies to enhance youth protective factors
  • Examine effective youth mentoring techniques within a school or agency setting with an understanding of confidentiality and mandated reporting requirements
  • Engage in varied learning methods including role-play, didactic and applied learning techniques

Course Length
Half to full day

Target Audience
The training is designed for SAP team members, faculty and staff.

Facilities
Flexible classroom seating must be available along with a podium, microphone for large groups, screen and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this training.

Registration
Registration for this training is the responsibility of the host school district or organization.

Continuing Education Credit
Up to 8.0 hours of Act 48

Youth Leadership Institute

Purpose
During this institute, participants explore leadership traits, examine the seven types of power and learn the difference between power, influence and authority. They will examine the Dangerous Systematic Process beginning with negative assumptions and potentially leading to prejudice. Participants will identify communication and conflict styles and explore strategies for peaceful conflict resolution and engage in teambuilding activities to reflect the team approach to leadership development.

Objectives
Upon completion of this institute participants will be able to:

  • Recognize negative assumptions to illustrate the importance of confronting negative assumptions before they can lead to negative forms of stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, racism/homophobia, scapegoating and genocide
  • Examine leadership qualities and explore variations of power, influence and authority
  • Participate in hands-on activities to facilitate critical thinking, leadership and proactive communication strategies

Course Length
Half to full day

Target Audience
The institute is designed for youth in grades 6-12.

Facilities
Classroom seating must be available along with room for activities, podium, microphone for large groups, LCD screen, speakers and electrical outlets for the effective delivery of this institute.

Registration
Registration for this institute is the responsibility of the host organization.

Certificate
A certificate of participation/completion will be available.