Abstract

The Risk-Taker’s Advantage: How to Make Kids More Resilient by not Bubblewrapping Them

Though statistics tell us that children today are safer than ever before in history, parents are failing to give them what Michael has called ‘the risk-taker’s advantage.’ The results are a generation of bubblewrapped kids with anxiety disorders, an inflated sense of entitlement, or misguided efforts to find their own rites of passage into adulthood, often with catastrophic results. 

Based on his best-selling books, I Still Love You (2015) and Too Safe For Their Own Good (2007), Michael shows us how to help families and schools stop being overprotective and provide kids with what they need to grow up well. 

Biography

Dr. Michael Ungar is the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience at Dalhousie University, and the founder and Director of the Resilience Research Centre. He is among the best known writers and researchers on the topic of resilience in the world. As both a family therapist and professor of Social Work, he has helped to identify important factors that influence the resilience of children and adults during periods of transition and stress. He is the author of 14 books that have been translated into five languages, numerous manuals for parents, educators, and employers, as well as more than 150 scientific papers. Dr. Ungar’s immense influence comes from his ability to adapt ideas from his research and clinical practice into best-selling works likeWorking with Children and Youth with Complex Needs, Too Safe For Their Own Good: How Risk and Responsibility Help Teens Thrive and I Still Love You: Nine Things Troubled Kids Need from their Parents. His blog Nurturing Resilience appears on Psychology Today’s website.

Dr. Tim Pychyl

Abstract

Solving the Procrastination Puzzle

Why do we procrastinate? What can we do about it? Dr. Pychyl will draw on decades of research to summarize answers to these questions and provide practical strategies to move students past “I don’t feel like it. I don’t want to."

Biography

Dr. Tim Pychyl is the Director of the Centre for Initiatives in Education and Associate Professor of Psychology at Carleton University, Ottawa. Tim has developed an international reputation for his research on procrastination. In addition to scholarly articles, Tim has co-edited two books, the most recent of which is Procrastination, Health and Well-being (2017, Elsevier). He is also author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change (2013, Tarcher/Penguin), You can learn more about his research and access his Psychology Today blog or his iProcrastinate podcast at procrastination.ca.

Tim’s research is complemented by his passion for teaching for which he has won numerous awards including the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship, Ontario Confederation of University Associations Teaching Award and University Medal for Distinguished Teaching. Tim has been an invited speaker across the country working with professors in universities and colleges to enhance teaching and learning.

Louisa Jewell

Abstract

Failing Well

Failure can offer some of the best learning for kids, so why do we spend so much time protecting our kids from it? Why do we fear it so much? Louisa will explore these questions and offer 3 practical strategies parents, teachers and kids can use to embrace failure for maximum learning and growth.Failure can offer some of the best learning for kids, so why do we spend so much time protecting our kids from it? Why do we fear it so much? Louisa will explore these questions and offer 3 practical strategies parents, teachers and kids can use to embrace failure for maximum learning and growth.

Biography

Louisa Jewell is the Founder and President of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and she is passionate about being the bridge between researchers and practitioners to share the latest knowledge on psychological well-being to improve the mental health of all Canadians. Louisa is a speaker, author and well-being expert who has facilitated thousands of people towards greater flourishing both at work and in their personal lives.

Louisa is a graduate of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania where she was taught by the field’s founder, renowned psychologist, Dr. Martin Seligman. Louisa is an instructor of positive psychology at the University of Toronto and the University of Texas Dallas and regularly delivers webinars and workshops to educators and practitioners around the world. Louisa is also a facilitator of the Certificate of Applied Positive Psychology program in Canada, delivering the program across Canada. She also holds her certificate in Solution Focused Coaching from the University of Toronto.

Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Huffington Post, Canadian Living Magazine, Live Happy Magazine, Chatelaine, Psychology Today, Women's Agenda, Toronto Sun, to name a few. She is a contributing author to the European Handbook of Positive Psychology, Positive Psychology at Work and Positive Psychology News Daily.  She is also a contributing author to the #1 Bestselling book Ready Set Live; Empowering Strategies for an Enlightened Life and her latest book Beyond Self-Doubt with the New Science of Self-Confidence will be released in June 2016.

Abstract

Positive Education Interventions from Kindergarten to Post-Secondary

Dr. Lumley’s talk will focus on keys for creating and sustaining a strength based culture in education settings with a particular eye towards and the relevance and effectiveness of positive education approaches for youth who struggle with mental health challenges. Expect to come away from this talk with applicable knowledge and tools to apply positive education interventions from kindergarten to postsecondary.

Biography

Dr. Margaret N. Lumley is an Associate Professor in the child clinical psychology program at the University of Guelph and a registered clinical psychologist practicing with children and adolescents. Dr. Lumley’s research has been funded the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ministry of Education. She has been recognized for her teaching excellence and recently developed and evaluated a for-credit course to promote positive mental health among University students coping with mental illness. Dr. Lumley’s research on children, youth and young adults examines positive cognitive schemas, positive life events and character strengths as well as positive developmental trajectories following childhood adversities. Her research is aimed at understanding and promoting positive developmental pathways for all youth, including those with mental illness. Her research examines how the natural resilience that youth possess can be bolstered by intervention efforts informed by positive psychological science and has been published in quality journals.

For the past several years, she has been extensively involved in bringing positive psychological approaches to the classroom, working collaboratively with parents, teachers, principals and school board administrators. To highlight some of this work, together with the Wellington Catholic District School Board she co-developed a Strengths in Education website (http://www.strengthsineducation.ca/). She is passionate about contributing to public knowledge of factors that promote positive mental health and well-being, and towards this end has delivered numerous public talks and workshops for a wide variety of audiences.

Maureen McKenna

Abstract

The Power of Reflective Practice

Throughout the day, you will have the opportunity to pause and reflect on how you might apply what you are learning. Maureen McKenna will introduce the simple yet powerful AIR framework. Drawing on the philosophy and methodology of Appreciative Inquiry, Maureen created the AIR framework to guide conversations and meetings.

Biography

Maureen McKenna is a dynamic and innovative facilitator, mentor, thinking partner and executive coach. She has 15 years of experience in organizational development, change leadership consulting, executive coaching, training design and delivery.

Maureen is an expert in strengths-based approaches to strategic planning, large-scale change, organization design, community consultations, customer loyalty, and employee engagement and is well respected by her clients for her ability to challenge their mental models, helping them to successfully reframe from traditional problem solving to focusing on their strengths.

Maureen is a founding partner of Innovation Works (www.innovationworks.ca).  She is a Certified Management Consultant, a member of NTL (National Training Laboratory) and is a trainer in their Appreciative Inquiry Certification program.  She is a graduate of the Adler International Learning coaching program and a member of Canadian Association of Professional Speakers.   She has taught Appreciative Inquiry workshops since 2001.

Renee Jain

Abstract

Training the Next Generation of Jedis

Luke Skywalker is a beacon of strength and a guardian of peace, but that doesn’t mean he only experiences the light side of the Force. Like all of us, Luke feels fear, anger, worry, and even moments of hatred. Though these feelings can be overwhelming, through training, Luke learns to accept and lean into his full spectrum of emotions. Wielding a lightsaber may be crucial, but the hallmark of a true Jedi Knight is being a master of one’s emotions.

Every child has the ability to train as a Jedi of emotional intelligence. In fact, we can teach our children to identify, navigate, accept, and even use their emotions - both light and dark - to their advantage. During this conversation, we will discuss the best practices for teaching children in the K-12 community interventions based in mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy. We will also learn why this teaching is so essential and reveal the science behind positive psychology methodology.

Biography

Renee Jain is an award-winning tech entrepreneur turned speaker and certified life coach. She also holds a masters in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Renee's passion is taking research-based concepts and transforming them into fun and digestible learning modules. She is the founder of the award-winning GoZen! programs known for helping anxious children thrive.

Louis Alloro

Abstract

Leveraging Social Emotional Leaders as a Strategy for School-Wide Culture Change

Social-emotional leaders are change-agents that can be found in every system. When we intentionally find them and leverage them, we are able to create positive, sustainable change and flourishing possibilities for all stakeholders across the community. This presentation will highlight several case studies of school-wide wellbeing initiatives: what works and feedforward for what could be better.

Biography

Louis  Alloro, M.Ed., MAPP is a change-agent working with individuals and organizations to enable positive evolution, even through the most difficult challenges. He is one of the first 100 people in the world to earn a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a second Masters degree in the Foundations of Education. His toolkit is stocked with the applied sciences of wellbeing, success, neurobiology, biomimicry, appreciative inquiry multiple intelligences (including systems theories), positive organizational design, and mindfulness. Louis is cofounder and director of a 6-month Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP) program now in 12 cities. The program is a deep dive into the science of human flourishing and designed for change-agents of all kinds to hone their skills and become more effective at motivating and empowering others. He is also designer of a city-wide, positive mental health intervention called SOMO Leadership Labs.

Marie Helene Budworth

Abstract

Building Developmental Relationships using the Feedforward Technique

Providing students with guidance on their performance can be challenging and sometimes leads to inconsistent results in terms of motivation and performance. The Feedforward technique is a structured conversation that promotes a focus on strengths rather than weaknesses while orienting both the teacher and the student toward future performance. This talk will review the evidence based benefits of this technique and review the steps to implement the technique successfully.

Biography

Marie-Hélène Budworth is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Resource Management at York University. Her research is focussed on cognitive processes in learning, negotiations, and interpersonal influence. She is particularly interested in the experience of emergent workers and individuals who experience systemic barriers to progressive employment. Her work has been published in academic journals, edited books, trade journals, and the popular press. She has also presented her research at conferences and invited talks both locally and internationally.