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Katie Upshaw is a preschool special education teacher in the Metuchen School District in New Jersey. Additionally, she also serves as a union representative, chairs the school leadership team, and engages in district committees.

Michele A. Herold has been an integrated preschool teacher in the Metuchen School District in New Jersey since 2018. Her educational philosophy is to create an uplifting, compassionate, and nurturing classroom that encourages confidence, kindness, and love for learning.

Patricia Erbe, MEd, is an author and former educator in Pennsylvania's West Chester Area School District, where she taught for decades at the elementary and secondary levels while also serving as a team leader, curriculum developer, science advocate, early field and student teacher mentor and professional development expert to individuals and organizations for skill growth and practical teaching applications.

Randy Ross has over 50 years of experience as a writer, teacher, administrator, coach, and facilitator of dialogue and professional learning. She has worked with community, school, district, and state education leaders for nearly 30 years.

Jillayne Flanders the executive director of the Center for Educational Improvement, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting mindful and compassionate schools with heart-centered, trauma-informed practices. She has taught graduate classes at Westfield State University, supervised student teachers at Mount Holyoke College, and lectured at Boston University, Springfield College, Boston College, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Orinthia Harris, PhD, has extensive experience in classroom and extracurricular settings. She is the founder of STEMearly LLC, an organization dedicated to reigniting teaching passions so educators and students can thrive.

This impactful webinar, led by education coach Jorge Valenzuela, empowers participants with diverse high-yielding strategies to guide students in discovering and pursuing their passions and interests for academic and life success. In addition to exploring methods for increasing student engagement and developing life skills throughout the curriculum, the webinar goes further by uplifting tools to improve empathy towards others, enhance decision-making abilities, and effectively regulate difficult emotions. Moreover, the session will address valuable techniques for teachers to bolster their own life skills. Join us to unlock a comprehensive toolkit for fostering holistic growth in students and educators alike.

Clayton R. Cook, PhD, is the chief development officer at CharacterStrong, an organization that aims to create a more loving world through education by designing low-burden, high-impact multitiered solutions.

Aria E. Fiat, PhD, is an assistant professor and pediatric psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is committed to making mental health care more equitable and accessible through integrated systems of service delivery that emphasize prevention.

Brian H. Smith, PhD, has been a leader in translating research into effective social-emotional learning programs for nearly twenty years.