Educators

Connect, Learn, and Lead

We partner with educators to create classrooms where students think critically, engage in meaningful dialogue, and explore complex human issues. Whether you’re looking to deepen your practice or help shape our future work, there are many ways to get involved.

Contact us to learn more about our programs and how we can partner with your school administrators.

Contact us

Our Programs

The Initiatives partner with school districts and other educational entities to design customized professional learning experiences for urban, suburban, and rural contexts nationwide. Participation fulfills district and state professional learning requirements, including continuing education units (CEUs).

Opportunity Types
School year & Semester Programs
Workshops & Institutes
Online Learning Modules
Teacher Advisory Council

Yearlong and Semester-long Programs

The Initiatives partner with PreK-12 educators across grade levels and content areas to explore difficult topics and issues through a framework of practitioner inquiry. These sustained professional learning cohorts foster a community of educators committed to cultivating student agency, curiosity, and skill-development. Participants receive practical classroom strategies, personalized support, and opportunities to apply their learning directly to their teaching contexts.

Through collaboration with colleagues and facilitation by experienced educators, participants strengthen their capacity to help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and multiple-perspective-taking skills while engaging with complex and often challenging topics.

Workshops and Institutes

The Initiatives offer specialized workshops designed to meet the needs of schools and districts. Available as standalone sessions or series, these workshops provide educators with practical tools and strategies to address the complex challenges of today’s classrooms. Each session is grounded in research and emphasizes skill-building around topics such as civil discourse, teaching difficult histories, trauma-informed practices, and asset-based approaches to instruction. These workshops support educators and students in growing their critical thinking skills.

“Activities were student-centered and focused on discussion and reflection, empowering students in their learning.”

Alyssa Hockensmith , Teacher, Jensen Beach, Florida

“Hearing everyone’s insights made me rethink my own practice and approach to teaching.”

Dara Kluth , Third Grade Teacher, Reading School District

“We've seen more engagement overall, and more open sharing. Our student writing prompts have improved over time and students have been excited to share their ideas even with translanguaging.”

Jeremy Lutz , elementary teacher, Reading School District, Reading, PA

“The work is immediately applicable. It emboldened me to try things I wouldn’t have tried before.”

Wendy Smith , 5th Grade ELA & Social Studies, Red Lion Area School District

“Choice allows students to engage in ways that feel authentic and accessible to them.”

Kelly Pepper , Teacher, Dallastown Area School Districts

Online Learning Modules

We offer free, online learning modules designed to provide flexible and accessible opportunities for all educators. The modules also connect educators with a wealth of resources to use and share. Certified Pennsylvania educators who complete the Initiative’s modules and provide their PPIDs earn continuing education units that satisfy Act 48 requirements. We also offer a module specific for Administrators and Act 45 credits. You can access all of our modules in our professional learning suite.

Trauma-Informed Practices

Learn strategies to recognize and respond to the impact of trauma on students and educators.

Two women in plaid shirts talking to each other in a hallway.

Teaching Difficult Issues

Gain tools and approaches for addressing sensitive and challenging topics in the classroom.

Two blonde hair women looking at a paper laugh

Using Media to Facilitate Difficult Discussions

Discover how to effectively use media as a tool for engaging students in difficult discussions.

“This module has supported my professional growth by empowering me to tackle various discussions in my classroom. I feel prepared to teach difficult issues.”
Feedback from the Teaching Difficult Topics online learning module

“This module has supported my professional growth by being more comfortable teaching sensitive topics with students and how to prepare for those discussions.”
Feedback from the Using Media to Facilitate Difficult Discussion online learning module

“As a teacher, we will be faced with having difficult discussion about difficult topics. This module helped take these difficult issues and pre-pare them in a way that is manageable and respectful to everyone that will be involved.”

A man with dark hair and glasses listens as a blonde hair white woman talks with her hand on her face in shock

“This module has supported my professional growth by providing me with a deeper understanding of the complexities and nuances surrounding controversial topics.”

Feedback from the Using Media to Facilitate Difficult Discussions online learning module