Conferences Menu

Schedule of Events

Pre-Conference Workshops

Friday, April 7
Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott

1) Transforming Teaching

Room: Grand Ballroom Salon H

(P, K-12)

8:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Emotionally and Academically
Kathleen M. Kryza, MA

2) Science of Learning

Room: Arlington Ballroom Salon I

(RP, PreK-12)

8:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Making It Work: Adapting Principles from the Science of Learning for Use in the Classroom
John T. Almarode, PhD and David B. Daniel, PhD

3) Stress, Teens & Mindfulness

Room: Arlington Ballroom Salon II

(RP, K-College)

8:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Part I – Stress, Meditation and the Adolescent Brain
William R. Stixrud, PhD

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Part II – Nourishing Understanding Through Mindfulness: Transcending Negative Feelings of Authority with Kindness
Michelle Palladini, BA

4) Positive Discipline

Room: Grand Ballroom Salon J

(P, K-12)

8:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Positive Discipline Tools for the Classroom: Teaching Students Life Skills for Social, Emotional and Academic Success
Kelly Gfroerer, PhD, LPC

5) Chronic Stress & Adversity

Room: Rosslyn I-II

(RP, PreK-12)

8:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Part I – Fostering Resilience by Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms
Mary Fowler, BA

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Part II – Leveraging Skills and Mindsets to Counter the Impact of Chronic Stress and Poverty on School Achievement
Catherine Good, PhD

6) Mindsets for Math & Reading

Room: Grand Ballroom Salon K

(RP, PreK-12)

8:15 AM - 9:15 AM
Part I – Why Mindsets Matter in Math Class
Catherine Good, PhD

9:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Part II – Strategies for Teaching Academic Reading for Student Success!
Kathy Perez, EdD

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GUIDE

  • (RP)=Brain Research & Practical Strategies/Interventions
  • (R)=Mostly Brain/Child Development Research
  • (P)=Mostly Brain-Based Practical Strategies and Interventions
  • (PREK=16)=Applicable Grade Levels

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

Conference Day 1

Friday, April 7
Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott

Opening Keynote Addresses

Keynote Room Location: Arlington Ballroom

1:00 PM

Conference Welcome

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Keynote Address I: Positive Education and Positive Psychology - Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD 

2:05 PM – 3:05 PM

Keynote Address II: Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain: The Science of Optimism and a Positive Outlook - Elaine Fox, PhD 

3:05 PM – 3:30 PM

Networking Coffee Break and Book Signings by Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD and Elaine Fox, PhD

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Keynote Address III: From Grateful Students to Great Schools: The Promise of Gratitude in Education - Giacomo Bono, PhD 

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Keynote Address IV: The Whole-Brain Child: Regulating Behavior and Addressing Emotions in the Classroom - Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, LCSW 

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Meeting of the Minds Reception and Book Signings by Giacomo Bono, PhD and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, LCSW

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

 

Conference Day 2

Saturday, April 8
Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott

Morning Keynote Addresses

Keynote Room Location: Arlington Ballroom

8:30 AM

Welcome Remarks

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Keynote Address I: Empathy Is a Verb: Lessons for Learning Real Success in the Digital Age - Michele Borba, EdD 

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Coffee Break, Poster Sessions and Book Signing for Michele Borba, EdD

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Keynote Address II: Grit in the Classroom - Teachers on the Frontline of Change - Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP 

11:05 AM – 12:05 PM

Keynote Address III: Resilience: Cultivating Capacities to Cope with Disappointment, Difficulty and Even Disaster - Linda Graham, MFT 

12:05 PM – 1:30 PM

Lunch Break (On your own)and Book Signings for Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP and Linda Graham, MFT

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

1:30 PM – 5:15 PM

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions ‘A’

1) Positive Emotions & School Success

Room: Arlington Salon I-II

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Part I – The Science Behind Positive Thinking
Gabriele E. Oettingen, PhD
(RP, K-12)

2:40 PM – 4:10 PM
Part II – Brain Science, Happiness and Student Achievement
Lauren Schiller, EdM and Ian Kelleher, PhD
(RP, K-12)

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Part III – Brain-Targeted Teaching: Promoting Positive Emotions for Learning
Mariale M. Hardiman, EdD
(RP, K-12)

2) Resilience & Mindfulness

Room: Arlington Salon IV

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Part I – Making Mindfulness Stick: Promoting Positivity and Resilience Through Meditation
Christopher Willard, PsyD
(RP, K-12)

3:10 PM – 4:10 PM
Part II – Safe in My Own Mind: Contemplative Practices that Support Mental Health and Self-Control in Adolescents
Brian M. Galla, PhD
(RP, K-12)

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Part III – Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation in High School and College Students
Matthew A. Scult, PhD Candidate
(RP, K-12)

3) Gratitude & Kindness Interventions

Room: Rosslyn I-II

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Part I – Gratitude in a Changing Brain
Christina M. Karns, PhD
(RP, K-12)

2:40 PM – 4:10 PM
Part II – Activating the Brain: Teaching Gratitude and Kindness in K-12 Schools
Patty O'Grady, PhD
(RP, K-12)

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Part III – Positive Activities in the Classroom: The Impact of Kindness and Gratitude in Adolescents
Christina N. Armenta, MA, PhD Candidate
(RP, K-12)

4) Executive Skills, Self-Control & Efficacy

Room: Arlington Salon III

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Part I – Think Positive, Act Smart: The Role of Executive Function in Emotional Strength and Resilience
Kathleen M. Kryza, MA and Jack A. Naglieri, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

3:10 PM – 4:30 PM
Part II – Wired for Control: How a Sense of Control Lowers Stress, Builds Motivation and Creates a Healthy Brain
William R. Stixrud, PhD and Ned Johnson, BA
(RP, All Grades)

4:35 PM – 5:15 PM
Part III – The Roots and Fruits of Academic Self-Efficacy
Ellen L. Usher, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

5) Empathy & School Climate

Room: Arlington Salon V-VI

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Part I – How to Teach Students the 9 Essential Habits of Empathy and Create Safe, Compassionate Environments
Michele Borba, EdD
(RP, K-12)

2:40 PM – 3:25 PM
Part II – The Positive Power of Differences: Teaching and Empathic Joy
Todd L. Pittinsky, PhD
(RP, K-12)

3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Part III – How Encouraging an Empathic Mindset in Teachers Reduces Suspensions and Improves Behavior
Jason A. Okonofua, PhD
(RP, K-12)

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Part IV – Teach Peace: Developing Empathy and Hope in the Classroom
Kathleen M. Kryza, MA
(RP, K-12)

6) Adversity, Stress & Achievement

Room: Grand Ballroom Salon H-K

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Part I – Why Environment Matters for Learning: The Effects of Enriched and Impoverished Environments
John T. Almarode, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

3:10 PM – 4:25 PM
Part II – Teaching and Learning in the Presence of Anxiety, Stress and Trauma: Science and Strategies
Janet Zadina, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Part III – Childhood Disrupted: How Children's Biography Becomes Their Biology, and How We Ensure Their Resiliency
Donna Jackson Nakazawa, BA
(RP, All Grades)

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GUIDE

  • (RP)=Brain Research & Practical Strategies/Interventions
  • (R)=Mostly Brain/Child Development Research
  • (P)=Mostly Brain-Based Practical Strategies and Interventions
  • (PREK=16)=Applicable Grade Levels

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

Conference Day 3

Sunday, April 9
Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott

Morning Keynote Addresses

Keynote Room Location: Arlington Ballroom

8:30 AM

Welcome Remarks

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Keynote Address I: The Gift of Failure: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids - Jessica Lahey, JD 

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Coffee Break, Poster Sessions and Jessica Lahey, JD Book Signing

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Keynote Address II: The Nurture Effect: How the Science of Human Behavior Can Improve Our Schools and Our World - Anthony Biglan, PhD 

11:05 AM – 12:05 PM

Keynote Address III: The Education Revolution: How to Apply Brain Science to Improve School Climate - Horacio Sanchez, MEd 

12:05 PM – 1:15 PM

Lunch Break (On your own) and Book Signings for Anthony Biglan, PhD and Horacio Sanchez, MEd

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

1:15 PM – 4:00 PM

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions ‘B’

1) Positive Emotions & Student Success

Room: Arlington Salon V-VI

1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Part I – Leveraging Technology to Promote Positive Emotions, Happiness and Well-Being in Schools
Acacia C. Parks, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Part II – Transforming School Culture to Promote Positive Emotions: A Strength-Based Approach
Lynn Ochs, MSEd and Jay Phillips, MEd
(RP, All Grades)

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Part III – The Science of Positive Emotion: Promoting Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Michele M. Tugade, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

2) Resilience & Self-Control

Room: Arlington Salon III

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Part I – The Formative Five: Preparing Students for Success in School and Life
Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD
(RP, K-12)

2:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Part II – The Keys to Success: Increasing Grit, Self-Control , and a Positive Mindset
Caren Baruch-Feldman, PhD
(RP, K-12)

3) Reading & Environment

Room: Arlington Salon I-II

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Part I – Raising Reading Success: Strategies and Self-Regulation for Reading Comprehension
Leslie E. Laud, EdD
(RP, PreK-8)

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Part II – What Brain Imaging Tells Us About Reading and Reading Intervention
Guinevere F. Eden, DPhil
(RP, PreK-8)

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Part III – Environmental Influences and Neural Adaptation on the Reading Brain
John D.E. Gabrieli, PhD
(RP, PreK-8)

4) Relationships & Prosocial Behavior

Room: Arlington Salon IV

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Part I – Wired to Connect: The Brain Science of Strong, Healthy Relationships
Amy E. Banks, MD
(RP, PreK-12)

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Part II – Fostering Empathy and Prosocial Behavior in Children Through Secure Relationships
Jessica A. Stern, PhD Candidate
(RP, PreK-12)

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Part III – Prosocial Behavior, Social Influences and Social Support for Motivation and Academic Success
Kathryn R. Wentzel, PhD
(RP, PreK-12)

5) Bullying & School Climate

Room: Rosslyn I-II

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Part I – Social Emotional Learning: Preventing Bullying and Promoting Positive School Climate
Dorothy Espelage, PhD
(RP, K-12)

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Part II – Why Do Bullies Bully? How Using Mindfulness in Schools Reduces Bullying
Janice Houlihan, MEd and Laura Bakosh, PhD
(RP, K-12)

6) Adversity, SES & Achievement

Room: Grand Ballroom Salon H

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Part I – Neuroanatomical Correlates of Income and Adversity on Achievement
John D.E. Gabrieli, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Part II – We Are the Medicine: Prioritizing Possibilities to Address Early Life Adversity and Promoting Child Well Being
Christina D. Bethell, PhD
(RP, All Grades)

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GUIDE

  • (RP)=Brain Research & Practical Strategies/Interventions
  • (R)=Mostly Brain/Child Development Research
  • (P)=Mostly Brain-Based Practical Strategies and Interventions
  • (PREK=16)=Applicable Grade Levels

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.