Proactive Education

This 3.5-hour professional learning program is for all educators and staff who regularly interact with students. The program guides you through our brain-based mental health literacy curriculum and teaches simple tools for building a wellness-informed environment for yourself and your students.

  • Understand the "why" behind decision-making and common behaviors.

  • Learn a framework for using challenges to build resilience and foster wellness.

  • Create actionable health strategies for use in personal and professional settings.

  • Includes several educational brain breaks, activities, and downloadable resources for use in the classroom.

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Welcome to Pathways to Empower!

    • Navigating The Program

    • [Download] Educator Reference Guide
  2. 2

    • N101 Introduction

    • Neural Pathways

    • [Activity] ABC-123 Game & Neural Pathways Takeaway

    • Neurochemicals

    • [Activity] Get Some Neurochemicals and Neurochemicals Takeaway

    • The Autonomic Nervous System

    • [Activity] Box Breathing Exercise and Autonomic Nervous System Takeaway
  3. 3

    • The RMM Introduction

    • The Four Ss

    • [Activity] What Food Are You? and Four Ss Takeaway

    • The Four Characters

    • [Activity] Get an Ant Tool and The Four Characters Takeaway

    • REACTS

    • [Activity] Dragonfly Mindfulness and REACTS Takeaway
  4. 4

    • BBR Introduction

    • Security and Autonomy

    • [Activity] Leadership Inventory and Security & Autonomy Takeaway

    • Relationship Tools

    • [Activity] Purposeful Goals and Relationship Tools Takeaway

    • The Resilience Formula

    • [Activity] The Resilience Formula Takeaway

    • Apologies and Restorative Justice

    • [Activity] Apologies & Restorative Justice Takeaway
  5. 5

    • Mental Health Literacy Introduction

    • Fostering & Maintaining Mental Wellness

    • [Activity] Healthy Activities and Fostering & Maintaining MW Takeaways

    • Effective Help-Seeking

    • [Activity] Google Search and Help-Seeking Takeaway

    • Reducing Stigma

    • [Activity] Proactively Reducing Stigma

    • Understanding Common Mental Health Disorders

    • Protective & Risk Factors

    • [Lesson] Understanding The Factors

    • Coping Strategies

    • [Lesson] Adaptive and Maladaptive Strategies

    • Understanding Trauma

    • [Lesson] ACEs Inventory

    • Signs and Symptoms

    • [Lesson] Signs and Symptoms of Developing Mental Health Disorders

    • Suicide Prevention

    • [Lesson] Warning Signs of Suicidal Ideation

    • Substance Use and Addiction

    • [Lesson] Signs of Drug or Alcohol Addiction

    • Mental Health Disorders

    • [Lesson] Information About Mental Health Disorders

    • Treatment Options

    • [Lesson] Treatment Information

    • [Bonus Lesson] Additional Treatments & Resources

    • [Download] The Mental Health Literacy Supplement
  6. 6

    • Dragonflying
  7. 7

    • PTE References/Basis

Instructor

Founder of Pathways to Empower

Dr. Donna Volpitta

Always an educator, Dr. Volpitta loves finding ways to translate neuroscience so that people can apply it to their own lives. Her work is grounded in the latest research in neurology, psychology, and education. She is the co-author of The Resilience Formula, author of Neuroworld, co-creator of the Nametags Education Program, and is a sought-after speaker. A former classroom teacher (and mother of 4 adolescents!) with experience in both general and special education, Donna holds a doctoral degree in Learning Dis/Abilities from Teachers College, Columbia University.