A once tough-talking Latino gangster, now a college-educated, nationally recognized speaker, Richard Santana’s journey provides a powerful and graphic illustration of cultural relevance in schools. His moving accounts of his gang-life experiences and how they shaped his beliefs, attitudes and self-expectations are inspiring, unsettling and thought-provoking. He challenges his audience to critically assess their own perceptions and helps them to recognize how these perceptions influence work relationships, effectiveness and productivity.
His message is one of making choices: between hope and hopelessness, between evaluating young people based upon our own standards or accepting them in the context of their own, between giving up on our most challenged youth or truly becoming their advocates.
Founder of Homeboy Goes To Harvard Productions, Richard shares his story as a third generation gang member who went on to earn a Master’s degree from Harvard University. He demonstrates to students and educators how he accomplished the change that occurred in his life — the change that can occur in anyone’s life.
Creating a Trauma Informed Resilience Focused Classroom and School
Transform your educational environment into a space where all students can thrive, especially those who have experienced trauma. This comprehensive foundation-setting session guides participants through the essential 10 steps to creating a trauma-informed, resilience-focused school culture.
Led by a Starr Certified Trauma and Resilience Trainer in Education (CTRT-E), this learning experience balances the science of trauma with practical, resilience-building strategies. Participants will explore: ● The neurobiological impact of trauma on child development and learning ● Key approaches to establishing psychological and physical safety in educational settings ● Evidence-based methods for fostering meaningful connections between students and educators ● Practical techniques for embedding social-emotional skill development throughout the school day ● The critical role of play and joyful engagement in building resilience
Through interactive activities and collaborative discussion, educators will develop a deeper understanding of trauma's effects while gaining actionable strategies to implement immediately. This session emphasizes a strength-based approach that benefits all students while particularly supporting those who have experienced adversity.
Participants will leave with practical strategies for creating resilience-focused classrooms and schools, including environmental assessment guides, relationship-building activities, and trauma-responsive intervention strategies that can be adapted for various educational contexts. Join us to learn how to create educational spaces where every child can develop the resilience needed to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.
Creating a Trauma Informed Resilience Focused Classroom and School
Transform your educational environment into a space where all students can thrive, especially those who have experienced trauma. This comprehensive foundation-setting session guides participants through the essential 10 steps to creating a trauma-informed, resilience-focused school culture.
Led by a Starr Certified Trauma and Resilience Trainer in Education (CTRT-E), this learning experience balances the science of trauma with practical, resilience-building strategies. Participants will explore: ● The neurobiological impact of trauma on child development and learning ● Key approaches to establishing psychological and physical safety in educational settings ● Evidence-based methods for fostering meaningful connections between students and educators ● Practical techniques for embedding social-emotional skill development throughout the school day ● The critical role of play and joyful engagement in building resilience
Through interactive activities and collaborative discussion, educators will develop a deeper understanding of trauma's effects while gaining actionable strategies to implement immediately. This session emphasizes a strength-based approach that benefits all students while particularly supporting those who have experienced adversity.
Participants will leave with practical strategies for creating resilience-focused classrooms and schools, including environmental assessment guides, relationship-building activities, and trauma-responsive intervention strategies that can be adapted for various educational contexts. Join us to learn how to create educational spaces where every child can develop the resilience needed to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.
Behavior Decoded: Practical Tools for Nurturing Positive Learning Environments
Discover the power of understanding behavioral functions in this hands-on professional learning session. When challenging behaviors of refusal and disruption challenge the learning environment, educators need practical, evidence-based strategies to respond effectively and promote positive change.
This session delves into primary functions of behavior and equips you with the tools to identify why students behave the way they do. Through interactive activities and real-world scenarios, you'll learn to: ● Recognize the underlying causes of disruptive and refusal behaviors ● Implement function-based interventions that address the root causes of challenging behaviors ● Create environments that naturally encourage positive learning behaviors ● Design individualized support strategies that can be immediately applied in your classroom
You'll leave with practical resources, assessment templates, and intervention strategies ready for implementation in your school setting. Whether you're working with individual students or seeking to improve classroom-wide behavior management, these functional approaches will transform how you understand and respond to student behavior.
Behavior Decoded: Practical Tools for Nurturing Positive Learning Environments
Discover the power of understanding behavioral functions in this hands-on professional learning session. When challenging behaviors of refusal and disruption challenge the learning environment, educators need practical, evidence-based strategies to respond effectively and promote positive change.
This session delves into primary functions of behavior and equips you with the tools to identify why students behave the way they do. Through interactive activities and real-world scenarios, you'll learn to: ● Recognize the underlying causes of disruptive and refusal behaviors ● Implement function-based interventions that address the root causes of challenging behaviors ● Create environments that naturally encourage positive learning behaviors ● Design individualized support strategies that can be immediately applied in your classroom
You'll leave with practical resources, assessment templates, and intervention strategies ready for implementation in your school setting. Whether you're working with individual students or seeking to improve classroom-wide behavior management, these functional approaches will transform how you understand and respond to student behavior.
