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Mental Health First Aid in the Classroom |
1.00 |
A student shouts in rage, “I wish I were dead!” Is he expressing suicidal ideation? A student quickly covers cut marks over her left forearm. Should we approach her or respect her privacy?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness data show that one in five adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 will experience a severe mental illness, and only 20 percent will receive treatment. We know, then, that our students are coming to us with mental health needs that are greater than ever before. This can feel overwhelming, especially when we want to help our students achieve to their fullest potential and are not sure how to.
The good news is that basic mental health first aid can offer practical, valuable tools. We don’t need to be a cardiac surgeon to perform CPR, and sometimes CPR can save a life. Similarly, we don’t have to be a licensed mental health professional to provide basic mental health first aid in the classroom.
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The Stages of Community—How to Create Effective Group Dynamics in the Workplace |
1.00 |
We may not be uniform—in race, politics, gender, generation, etc.—but we can be unified in love and service. This is how we get there: Stage One is Psuedo-community. Relationships are a half an inch deep and fake. We pretend we all get along, but we really can’t stand each other. Stage Two is Chaos. We quit pretending that we like each other, we finally aired our differences, and now the battle has begun to change each other. Stage Three is Surrender. We’ve accepted that we are stuck with each other, and we’ve proven that we’ve only hurt each other in the process of trying to change each other. Finally, though, we’re willing to surrender our agenda (and all other barriers to our communication) so that we might understand one another. Now we have hope. Stage Four is Community. We still don’t agree on everything, but we’ve learned to treat each other with dignity and respect. Our campus is a relationally safe environment. We share a sense of belonging and purpose. This is the place where lives are impacted. Everyone wants to be on this campus. |
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How to Navigate Stress Like a Hero |
1.00 |
If only stress weren’t so stressful. There is good news, though: stress doesn’t have to be the enemy! In fact, we can enhance our emotional intelligence by identifying the sources of our stress and creating a plan for adaptive stress management. Stress fuel—adrenaline and cortisol—can empower us to be Life-Givers or Life-Suckers, and fortunately, we get to make the choice. |
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A K-12 Student Guide to Implicit Bias |
1.00 |
Welcome to A K-12 Student Guide to Implicit Bias. In this course geared towards K-12 students, you'll examine implicit bias, why it matters, and what can be done to address it. |
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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for K-12 Institutions |
1.00 |
Welcome to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for K-12 Institutions.
In this course, you will:
Identify what FERPA is.
Explore how educational records can be disclosed, accessed, and amended under FERPA guidelines.
Become familiar with the privacy and accountability goals that FERPA promotes.
Discover the characteristics of personally identifiable information (PII).
Clarify our expectations for enforcing FERPA violations. |
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A K-12 Student Guide to Title IX |
1.00 |
In this course geared towards K-12 students, you'll learn about Title IX and your rights under it. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sexual discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion. This course helps students to identify their rights under Title IX, and describe their school’s responsibilities under the law. |
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LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training for School Settings |
1.50 |
This course is just one out of several courses we offer in this series. This is our Safe Zone Training for School Settings, created for those who work in schools. If you don't work in a school setting, try taking our general LGBTQ+ Safe Zone course. If you are interested in teaching others about this topic, try one of our Train the Trainer versions of this course. If you are a student, please take our LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training for Students.
This course will help you develop new knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community and will help you understand what your role as a safe zone trained person might look like.
In this training, you will work through a number of activities in order to gain a better understanding of LGBTQ+ identities and experiences. These activities are going to be reflective and may feel uncomfortable or new, and that is okay! We want this to be an engaging and interactive learning experience. |
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LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training for Students |
1.50 |
This course is just one out of several courses we offer in this series. This is our student version of our LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training, created for students. If you are not a student, we also have a school setting version and a generic version if you don't work in a school. If you are interested in teaching others about this topic, try one of our Train the Trainer versions of this course.
This course will help you develop new knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community and will help you understand what your role as a safe zone trained person might look like.
In this training, you will work through a number of activities in order to gain a better understanding of LGBTQ+ identities and experiences. These activities are going to be reflective and may feel uncomfortable or new, and that is okay! We want this to be an engaging and interactive learning experience.
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Cultural Diversity in School Settings |
1.00 |
This course contains definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the role DEI plays in the school setting. Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion benefits everyone within a K-12 institution: faculty, staff, students, and families.
Learners will reflect on the different elements of their own identity and how that impacts their perception of others. This course will also discuss the role of bias in the school setting. |
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Emergency Protocols for School Settings |
1.25 |
This course will take you through various topics related to emergency protocols in schools. You will learn how an Emergency Operations Plan is created and implemented. This course will help you understand your role in supporting before, during, and after school threats and hazards. This course will also explain the various assessments schools use to determine which threats and hazards are necessary to prepare for, how to collaborate with local and state organizations, and what items are necessary to include in an Emergency Operations Plan. |
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The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) (Short) |
0.25 |
This course covers the Dignity For All Students Act and will help you understand how DASA is implemented within schools. |
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Understanding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in Schools |
1.25 |
This course includes comprehensive information about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and its implications in educational institutions. It includes FOIA basics, compliance requirements, best practices, and case studies relevant to schools. This is just one of the many K-12 Education courses we offer. |
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Honest Jobs |
0.25 |
This course is designed to assist learners in creating and using an Honest Jobs account to help secure post-incarceration employment. |
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Offender Corrections |
1.00 |
Offender Corrections
This course intends to help you learn more about yourself, including your subconscious script, personal values, and consequences of actions. By the end of this course, you should feel better equipped to make positive changes to turn your life around.
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Offender Responsibility |
1.00 |
This course is designed to demonstrate the importance of taking responsibility and accepting the consequences of our actions. You will learn how to achieve and maintain a positive mindset, as well as how to be happy and successful in life. Finally, we will review strategies for more effectively managing life's problems. |
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Exploring Four Areas of School-Age Development |
2.00 |
One of the most helpful ways to gain an understanding of the needs and interests of youth between 5 and 12 is to examine their development from four different perspectives: 1) Physical Development, 2) Cognitive Development, 3) Social Development, and 4) Emotional Development. It is important for staff to keep all four of these areas in mind when planning and implementing program activities and experiences. Keeping the four areas of development in mind leads staff to design a balanced set of experiences that nurture and growth and development of the “whole child.” |
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Exploring Developmental Needs and Characteristics of Different Age Groups |
2.00 |
Certain developmental needs and traits are associated with younger school-age children, while others are typical of older school-age children and youth. While the differences between school-age children of different ages are not clear-cut, there are some general traits and tasks that are often associated with younger (ages 5 – 7), middle (ages 8 – 10), and older (ages 11 – 12) school-age children and youth. Understanding these differences helps staff plan appropriate activities and guidance strategies for children of different ages. |
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Human Relations Skill Development |
2.00 |
Being able to communicate effectively is an essential human relations skill for school-age care professionals. To be a good communicator, school-age professionals need to understand the components of communication and how the communication process works. They need to identify barriers to clear communication and develop strategies for minimizing or eliminating barriers to communication. School-age care professionals also need to work cooperatively with other team members to solve problems and conflicts. This requires an understanding of how teams work and the characteristics of effective teams. Assessing the current status of personal human relations skills helps each professional identify priorities for making improvements to these skills. |
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Guiding School-Age Children in Groups |
2.00 |
When large numbers of children are involved in the program, it is challenging to create and deliver school-age program activities that can meet the needs of all children. The key to success is taking a systematic approach to program planning. It is important for staff to understand how to select appropriate activity options and use effective management strategies that make it possible to offer a balanced variety of simultaneous activity options. This understanding will help staff plan and implement a program that effectively supports, nurtures, and guides individual differences and fosters positive interaction among children in groups. |
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Growing as a Professional in School-Age Programs |
2.00 |
Caring for school-age children in a school-age program is a relatively new field of work. The field itself is constantly changing and expanding. In view of this "newness" and change, those who work in the field are playing an important role in shaping and defining what it means to be a school-age professional. They are guiding school-age care as an emerging profession. In the search for a definition of professionalism in school-age programs, it is helpful to examine the common characteristics of professionalism in other fields. The next step is identifying qualities and characteristics associated with professional behavior in the school-age field, itself. As a school-age professional, it is also important to understand the importance of acting as a public policy advocate on behalf of school-age children and their families. An important part of professionalism is continued personal growth and development in relation to the field. This requires using appropriate resources and strategies to further individual professional development. It also requires considering what constitutes ethical conduct in the field and developing an ongoing commitment to ethical behavior. |
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Developing and Implementing Effective School-Age Outdoor Environments and Interest Areas |
2.00 |
School-age children need daily opportunities to exercise, relax, and participate in a wide range of outdoor activities. The hours children spend in after school programs are often the best hours of the day for getting fresh air and enjoying the out of doors while it is still daylight. School-age programs can provide safe, secure settings where children can enjoy the out of doors. Even if outdoor space is limited, regular participation in a wide variety of physical activities in the open air can help children develop healthy exercise habits that will last a lifetime. |
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Providing Homework Support |
2.00 |
The National Standard Objectives of Learning (SOL) have raised questions about the role of school-age programs in providing homework help and support. Research indicates there are many different ways to provide effective homework support in school-age programs. Some are more structured than others. When planning a homework support program, it is important for school-age programs to develop a homework philosophy that is consistent with the program’s overall philosophy and reflects current research on best practices for providing homework help. The homework philosophy should also reflect the needs of parents and children in the program and strike a balance between homework needs and other experiences that help children grow and learn out-of-school. When staff know how to design homework environments, identify appropriate homework materials, and use effective strategies to guide children’s efforts, homework support can be an effective component of ongoing programs. |
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Helping Children with ADD Succeed in School-Age Programs |
2.00 |
Children with ADD regularly experience struggles and challenges at home, in school, and in the community. Without the help of knowledgeable, understanding, and supportive people, they often experience multiple failures and frustrations on a daily basis. Typically, they lack the self-confidence that stems from learning how to do things well. Their lack of social skills and self-control makes it hard for them to make friends with schoolmates and children they meet in program activities. By the school-age years, many of these children do not feel good about themselves. They feel lonely and ostracized. Their self-esteem sinks a little lower every day.
Staff in school-age programs are in a position to make a positive difference in the lives of children with ADD. Armed with important information and management tools, they can help reverse the cycle of failure and frustration that results in low self-esteem in these children. They can make life easier, happier, and more satisfying for children with ADD, their parents, other children in the program, and themselves.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ADD stands for Attention Deficit disorder. Many professionals refer to this disorder as ADHD, which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Some professionals use these terms simultaneously or interchangeably. In this module, the term ADD is used to refer to the basic form of the disorder and recognizes that the basic pattern of inattention associated with ADD often includes the component of hyperactivity related to extremes in temperament. |
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Focus on Health and Stress Management |
2.00 |
Every day OST professionals dedicate themselves to caring for and nurturing children, youth, and families. Often OST professionals are so dedicated to serving others, they neglect their own needs. When this happens, OST staff can experience stress that causes them to become overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated, dissatisfied with job responsibilities, and unappreciated. When OST professionals maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle, they are in a much better position to face the challenges of supporting and nurturing children and families with positive energy, enthusiasm, patience, and empathy. By developing self-awareness; linking their personal and professional goals; developing a healthy balanced lifestyle; and identifying and managing stressors effectively, OST staff can create and maintain a positive sense of well-being that allows them to maximize their ability to build positive relationships with children, parents, colleagues, and others. |
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Human Relations Skill Development: Focus on Leadership Styles and Conflict Management |
2.00 |
Research indicates that those in positions of leadership use a variety of different leadership and management styles. A person’s effectiveness as a leader is often directly linked to his or her leadership style. It is important for OST professionals to be aware of the assumptions and characteristics of different leadership styles. Knowledge of different leadership styles can help OST professionals reflect on their own leadership style and assess its effectiveness. It can also help OST professionals take a proactive approach to applying different leadership styles and techniques, depending on the situation.
Leaders also use a variety of different styles when it comes to managing and resolving conflicts. By understanding how to diagnose the causes and dynamics of conflict and understanding the characteristics of different conflict management styles, OST professionals can choose the best conflict management strategy for each situation.
There are a number of skills that enhance the ability of OST professionals to employ different leadership and conflict management styles effectively. When OST professionals are aware of these skills and their own skill levels, they can set priorities for ongoing development of leadership skills. |
