Portrait of a Graduate Matters is an applied professional learning course designed to support educators in translating New York State's Portrait of a Graduate vision into intentional, classroom-based practice. Grounded in culturally responsive-sustaining education (CRSE) principles, the course uses the BRIGHT Instructional Model to guide educators from awareness to action across all Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Participants engage with instructional tools, reflection prompts, and backward-mapping processes to examine current practice, strengthen culturally responsive instructional decision-making, and design learning experiences that foster student agency, engagement, and success. Downloadable resources included. Certificate of Completion awarded to course completers.

This course has open enrollment. Once registrations are processed, an introductory email will be sent within two weeks. We have 4 cohorts; Summer (7/06/26-10/05/26), Fall (10/05/26-1/04/27), Winter (1/04/27-4/05/27), and Spring (4/05/27-6/15/27) so please plan accordingly to select the season that aligns best with your schedule.

What if the systems we use to manage student behavior are actually working against us, and against our students?

In this four-session book study, participants will engage with Alfie Kohn's landmark Punished By Rewards to critically examine the reward and punishment frameworks that dominate classroom management practice. Through collaborative discussion and reflection, participants will explore why external motivators like sticker charts, clip charts, prize boxes, and consequence ladders may produce short-term compliance while undermining student autonomy, intrinsic motivation, and classroom community.

Participants will also examine why reward and punishment systems are widely recognized as inconsistent with trauma-informed practice, and how compliance-based approaches can erode the trust and safety students need to thrive, and what we can do instead.

There are 4 synchronous meetings via Zoom for this book study that equal 6 hours. The other 3 hours are for work completed outside of these sessions to read, reflect and prepare. No partial credit and attendance is required for all sessions.

*The text is available from our lending library. If you would like to borrow this for the book study, please complete a lending form on our website by July 8, 2026.

Prepare your students with the traits outlined in the Portrait of a Graduate by intentionally embedding essential traits into the canvas of everyday instruction. This course provides the palette educators need to cultivate core competencies-Collaborator, Innovator, Critical Thinker, and Effective Communicator- within any content area. You will explore how to make these traits visible and actionable, ensuring they are added to your lessons with the same precision and intentionality as academic standards. Through guided design and a gallery of classroom-ready examples, you will move from broad strokes to fine details, developing at least one fully structured lesson and a plan for implementation.

*Part 1: Synchronous Zoom Session: July 13 4:00-5:00 (required) Launch the course with an overview of key concepts and goals. Build shared understanding and set the stage for personalized learning.

Part 2: Self-Paced Modules

Engage with curated resources, design and refine performance‑based tasks, plan for classroom use, and receive actionable feedback from the instructor and peers.

Join Dr. Meredith Madden for an engaging online book study of Teaching with Empathy: How to Transform Your Practice by Understanding Your Learners by Lisa Westman. Through guided reflection, online discussion, and practical strategies, participants will explore how empathy strengthens student engagement, relationships, and learning outcomes. Educators will examine their own perspectives, develop strategies for understanding and responding to students' diverse needs, and build tools for creating more inclusive, student-centered classrooms. This 10-hour asynchronous professional learning experience provides research-informed insights, collaborative learning opportunities, and actionable strategies that can be immediately applied to support student success and well-being.

**The text is available in our E-Book Library . If you would like to borrow a physical copy of this book for the book study, please complete a lending form on our website by July 8, 2026.

Calm is often what we're hoping for. But calm and regulated are NOT the same thing, and chasing calm can actually get in the way of building the skills we really need. This session is for educators who are ready to go deeper on what regulation actually looks like, why it matters more than compliance or quiet, and how to design classrooms where students are genuinely available to learn. We'll explore how the nervous system shapes behavior and readiness, what it means to build a classroom culture where regulation is taught and practiced, rather than just "expected,” and how to build that responsibility into the shared fabric of the classroom community. Whether you're refining an existing approach or looking for a more cohesive framework, you'll leave with better language, a clearer vision, and strategies you can put to work from day one.

A refreshing, beach-themed professional learning experience designed to help educators prepare for a successful school year. In this interactive 2-hour workshop, participants will "pack" a BRIGHT Instructional Beach Bag with practical, high-impact instructional strategies that support student engagement, belonging, dialogue, and meaningful learning. Grounded in Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education and aligned to Portrait of a Graduate goals, this session offers an accessible and energizing introduction to the BRIGHT framework. Educators will explore asset-based approaches to seeing students clearly, strategies for designing meaningful learning experiences, practices that elevate dialogue and student voice, feedback tools that promote growth, and opportunities for reflection on educator wellness and professional practice. Participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies and an implementation plan for creating more responsive, engaging, and equitable learning environments.

Shift your classroom toward student-led, inquiry-driven learning by exploring three complementary frameworks: Design-based Instruction, Problem-based Learning, and Project‑based Learning. In this course, you will learn how to design learning experiences that help students follow their questions, investigate meaningful problems, and create work that reflects student interests and curiosities. By the end of the course, you will have a fully developed inquiry-based project and a clear plan for how students will celebrate and showcase their learning.

*Part 1: Synchronous Zoom Session: August 3 4:00-5:00 (required) Launch the course with an overview of key concepts and goals. Build shared understanding and set the stage for personalized learning.

Part 2: Self-Paced Modules

Engage with curated resources, design and refine performance‑based tasks, plan for classroom use, and receive actionable feedback from the instructor and peers.

Children need to move in order to learn. Physical activity stimulates the brain and benefits include: creating neural pathways, boosting focus, and overall cognitive function. Allowing more movement in your classroom can improve emotional regulation, foster social skills and help create a more engaged and meaningful experience for students. Together we will review some research, generate ideas, and adapt a lesson to incorporate more movement.

Geared towards PreK-2nd, but educators of older students are welcome!

Please note this is an IN PERSON workshop and will be held at the Center.

Discover two powerful tools that make it easier to meet students where they are. You'll explore how Brisk and Diffit can help you quickly adapt content, scaffold materials, and support diverse learners - without adding hours to your prep time..

Behavior is hard. Not because educators aren't skilled or don't care, but because the cycle of dysregulation, depletion, and difficult behavior is genuinely exhausting.

In this session, we'll start by naming what's real - the fatigue, the frustration, the moments that don't reflect who we are or what we value - and then we'll trace the loop: how student behavior affects us, how our state affects them, and how that cycle perpetuates itself without our explicit knowledge. We'll examine practical, research-based strategies for supporting even the most challenging behavior, and we'll explore what it takes to build enough capacity in yourself and your classroom community to stay regulated when it matters most. Less about adding more to your plate and more about understanding how to interrupt the cycles we're trapped in without our consent

Please note this is an IN PERSON workshop and will be held at the Center. There will be an hour lunch break.