Listening to Learn: Using I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) Dialoguing to Support Child Voice
[Recorded April 17, 2026] Learn a simple, yet powerful communication strategy rooted in the I Can Problem Solve approach, a proven method for building children’s problem-solving skills and social-emotional awareness. Rather than offering solutions for children, ICPS dialoguing invites adults to guide children in thinking through problems independently. This child-centered technique has been shown to strengthen relationships, reduce behavior conflicts, and promote critical thinking. This session is designed for educators, family engagement specialists, and leaders working with children aged 3–8, although the core strategy applies across all developmental levels.
Empowering Educators: Building Psychological Flexibility with the ACT Matrix for SEL and Mental Health
[Recorded May 1, 2025] Explore how to use everyday experiences to create interest, connection and collaboration with the ACT Matrix for students and staff. The process builds connection and collaboration through mindful engagement in values-based behaviors. In this interactive session, learn a simple tool to set the stage for productive learning in any setting. Gain new strategies that you can immediately implement in your setting.
Cultivating Connection: Building Positive School Climate and Academic Success through SEL
[Recorded April 3, 2025] Explore the important link between emotional well-being and academic achievement. By fostering strong relationships, empathy and emotional resilience, social and emotional learning (SEL) creates a supportive school climate where students feel safe, valued and motivated. This positive environment, in turn, enhances focus, collaboration and engagement in learning, leading to improved academic outcomes. Schools that prioritize SEL not only develop well-rounded individuals but also cultivate a culture where both personal growth and academic success thrive.
Creating Safe and Nurturing Environments Through SEL
[Recorded March 7, 2025] Instructor Kevin Taylor will share his personal journey as an educator dedicated to creating trauma-informed environments where marginalized students can learn, grow and thrive. Explore the core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL) and how these skills foster the essential sense of safety, positive visibility and belonging that all students need. Additionally, attendees will gain practical strategies and actionable ideas they can immediately implement in their classrooms or youth programs to support student well-being and success.
Living Your Values: Bridging Core Beliefs with Everyday Life
[Recorded Jan. 10, 2025] Explore the power of core values and how they shape not only our personal well-being but also the health and success of those we serve. Drawing inspiration from the research of Brené Brown, we will uncover the importance of living in alignment with our values to foster authenticity and resilience. Identify your own core values and engage in an introspective exercise designed to create meaningful connections between these values and their daily lives. Join us for a session of self-discovery, reflection and practical application.
From Data to Decision: 3 Essential Steps for Choosing an SEL Program
[Recorded Nov. 7, 2024] Selecting the right social and emotional (SEL) program involves more than just evaluating curricula; it requires a strategic approach that ensures long-term success. Learn about three critical factors for effective program selection: developing a clear vision for SEL, incorporating diverse stakeholder input, and creating a robust plan for sustaining implementation. Walk away with practical strategies to build consensus, address school-specific needs, and ensure your chosen SEL program thrives over time, driving meaningful change across the school community.
Advancing Policy Initiatives That Promote Student Social, Emotional and Mental Well-being
[Recorded June 2024] Youth social, emotional and mental well-being have become critical to ensuring positive educational experiences and outcomes in contemporary educational settings. While students’ needs have increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, funding and initiatives intended to support their social, emotional and mental well-being remain flat or decline across Pennsylvania. In this interactive session, learn about several policy-focused initiatives implemented by other states to address student social, emotional and mental well-being, and engage in conversations to identify and advance policy priorities across Pennsylvania.
Coregulation and Connection: The Crucial Role of Adults in Children’s Self-Regulation
[Recorded April 2024] A safe, nurturing relationship with a sturdy, regulated adult is the most important factor in a child’s ability to learn how to understand and regulate their own bodies and emotions. Learn a trauma-informed framework that will equip you to be effective coregulators, foster meaningful connections and safe environments, and allow children to flourish into socially and emotionally resilient humans.
Motivating Youth and Building Skills for Life: Implementing Social and Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time (OST)
[Recorded March 2024] Social and emotional learning (SEL) 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). By incorporating SEL programs into afterschool programs, youth learn valuable skills such as pro-social interactions, positive problem-solving, self-regulation, empathy, initiative, and personal responsibility. This workshop will introduce SEL skills and highlight strategies that can be implemented specifically for the OST environment. Participants will identify SEL competencies and curriculum features important for SEL skill development, identify SEL strategies that can be implemented in the OST environment, and learn specific components of effective SEL practices in OST.
Strengthening the Web: The Value of Relationships in Supporting Youth and Families
[Recorded Feb. 2024] Just as a spider depends on its web for sustenance, a young person depends on a web of relationships to shape and guide all aspects of their lives. The web of relationships does not have to be perfect, but it does need to be strong and flexible, adapting to the world around it, and to the needs and strengths of the people in those relationships. In this session, we will explore this web analogy through foundational research, interaction and reflection. Participants will become familiar with the Developmental Relationships Framework and walk away with strategies to apply in their daily work with young people and families. Above all, we will focus on the value of connection, and we can help strengthen the webs of those we serve and strengthen our own web in the process.