SCHOOLS
ADVISORY/ SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (ACADEMIC) LEARNING - SE(A)L
Advisory programs have the capacity to transform a school into a close-knit community where all students are supported. According to Brown University, the effectiveness of an Advisory program is dependent on its purpose, organization, content, leadership, and assessment. PowerTools has a passion for SE(A)L programs, and our consultants are former teachers, Advisory coaches, Advisors, social workers, and youth development experts who have an expertise in supporting this important and sometimes challenging program. Many schools want to offer the same level of SE(A)L work in alternative programs such as mentoring, Crew, or Community group Our high level of customization allows us to cater to the specific needs of our school partners. We offer:
ADVISORY/SE(A)L PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMIZED SE(A)L CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
SE(A)L IN THE CLASSROOM COACHING SERIES
SE(A)L PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
YOUTH VOICE: Youth Council Programs
COLLEGE/CAREER READINESS
PowerTools supports college and career readiness with an emphasis on academic and social behaviors that help youth thrive in the world of work and post secondary learning. We offer both youth-facing and educator-facing workshops that are research-based, interactive and practical. Our work is aligned with NYCDOE College and Career Readiness Standards. Workshops are presently virtual. Please check out our workshop series listed lower on this page.
EQUITY + POSITIVE CULTURE AND CLIMATE
PowerTools collaborates with schools to foster inclusive and empowering learning environments where all members of the school community feel connected, valued and intellectually stimulated.
Culture and Climate Shift If your school culture needs a boost, we can help. With a lens on equity and efficacy (E2), PowerTools works with your school to examine the strengths and challenges of your current culture, collecting data from all of your experts ( staff and students, secretaries and leaders, office workers, etc.) about their perspectives on the current culture and climate through our 360-Degree Audit. That data then drives the culture shift process, with a diverse school-based team taking the lead to prioritize next steps and develop action plans. We’re with you to provide structure, guidance and expertise during the culture enhancement process. Past action plans have centered around promoting anti-racism and equity, school-wide rituals, restorative practices, positive school branding, cultural awareness, engagement strategies, and rituals and celebrations. We work with a school-based team so the power stays in your hands.
Anti-Racist and Culturally Responsive and Sustainable Education. PowerTools supports schools to create Equity Teams, offers coaching, consulting to help your school to develop systems, protocols and interactions that promote equity, inclusion and belonging for all school community members. We also offer workshops to youth, staff and families. PowerTools addresses not only address individual blindspots and biases, but helps shift inequitable systems to create anti-racist, equitable environments that honor and support students, staff and families.
Workshop series on Unconscious Bias and Culturally Responsive Teaching.'
Facilitated Conversations and Circles that repair harm and explore moving from white supremacy culture to anti-racism in schools
Further, we support Equity Teams to develop action plans and guide the team through the process to promote equity.
Restorative Justice/Practices support starts with our comprehensive restorative practices training and coaching model for school wide implementation of community building and “Tier 1” problem solving. Next we work with school based teams to develop a sustainable system for restorative justice/harm reduction to addresses “Tier 2 +3” issues while maintaining a sense of community and integrity for all staff and students.
Healing Centered/Trauma Informed Practice workshops, coaching and school-wide support
Social Emotional (Academic) Learning workshops, coaching, rituals and events such as town hall meetings, competitions, talent shows, events and research-based curriculum aligned with CASEL’s SEL Framework.
SE(A)L Capacity Building and Systemic supports for staff and school. Drawing from Tricia Taylor and Nina Dibner’s book Connect the Dots: The Collective Power of Relationships, Memory and Mindset in the Classroom, PowerTools helps schools integrate the latest research on cognitive science and the power of SEL to enhance teacher/staff pedagogical practice, build strong relationships, and help youth maintain a relaxed-alert state.
Youth programming that builds positive school culture by supporting students to act as change agents within their school. With an arts focus, students evaluate school culture, make recommendations to school leaders and enact culture-building plans. Programs include Art for Youth Activists, Youth Art Leaders, and Change Agents Programs.
PowerTools Workshop Series
Workshop Series for Youth
Management, Organization, and Work Habits
Maximize Your Memory
Take Control of Your Time (time management)
Top Tips for Studying
Extra SMART Goal Setting
SEL and Wellness
Stress Management
Calm Your Mind-mindfulness and movement strategies
Communication and Collaboration
Unconscious Bias
Healthy Relationships- with Friends, Family, and Beyond
Making Friends in College*
Mindsets For Perseverance
Your Brain Explained- How knowing your brain sets you up for success. Neuroscience Series 1)
Befriend Your Brain (Neuroscience Series 2)
Discover Your Purpose
Middle school students prepare for student-led conferences during an advisory session.
At a culture and climate retreat, a principal explores ways to make her school's mission come alive.
Experiential learning at a PowerTools’ professional learning session
“Staff reported on how the professional development offered from Power Tools improved their communication skills with students and provided them with strategies for building community in the classroom and throughout the school. This training also helped them to better understand and empathize with students, thereby, helping them to avoid emotional reactions to student behavior. They felt that the alternative strategies they were learning were effective in keeping students engaged and on-task.”
Student-Run College Fair
Growth Mindset Workshop participants
Workshops for Educators
Maximize Students' Memory
Stress Management
Mindfulness + Mental Health
Unconscious Bias Series
Healing-Centered/Trauma Informed Practice
SE(A)L in the Classroom
Top Tips for Studying
TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS
We know what it’s like to teach: the amazing complexities, the joys, the intense accountability and the stress. PowerTools offers coaching, modeling, and consulting to help teachers maximize their capacity. Through pedagogue-centered professional learning sessions (PDs), observations, modeling, coaching, co-facilitation, and consulting, and using a strength-based, Learning Mindset approach aligned with the Danielson Framework, PowerTools supports teachers in the three keys of effective teaching: building relationships with, and between students, using cognitive research-based strategies to maximize student memory, and fostering a learning mindset in students. Our coaching is highly customized to meet the distinct needs of each teacher.
PowerTools is research-driven and Tricia Taylor and Nina Dibner’s new book, Connect The Dots: The Collective Power of Relationships, Memory and Mindset in the Classroom serves as a pedagogue reference and workbook. Filled with fascinating research, practical strategies for K-12 grade, and sections for school leaders to share the knowledge through PLS (PD) outlines, schools may choose to build teacher effectiveness through bookclubs, action research teams, Connect The Dots coaching, or individual reading and reflection.
Connect The Dots
PowerTools’ coaching for teachers, leaders and other educators is modeled after the “Connect The Dots principle of the collective power of relationships, memory and mindset in the classroom.
This book is perfect for PD cycles, staff book clubs, leadership networks, or pre-service instruction
LEADERSHIP COACHING
PowerTools provides individual and team coaching for school leaders. We use an evidence-based approach to support effective teaming, “managerial skills”, constructive communication, conflict resolution, systems thinking, and self-care. Our process is strength-based and customized to meet the objectives of the team and school leaders.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
PowerTools offers customized workshops for parents/caregivers, toolkits and training for parent coordinators, and facilitation of family events. We collaborate with schools and families to identify avenues to increase family engagement while fostering a home-school connection based on common language and understanding. Take a look at our families page for more information about our newest workshops.
YOUTH INITIATIVES, WORKSHOPS AND GROUPS
PowerTools offers research-based programs, workshops, and events for youth that enhance their ability to build self-awareness, social awareness, leadership skills, self-care, self-and collective advocacy, positive sense of identity, healthy decision making skills, sense of personal power, self-expression, and collaborative problem solving (yes, all that!). We can customize our programs to fit the needs of your school. Programs include Restorative Practices Youth Leaders, PowerUP Program, Art for Youth Activists, Change Agent Program. We offer a Youth Leadership Institute, For other offerings, see our youth page.