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. While we are highly customized, our work tends to fall into several methods of support:

Early College and Smart Scholar Grant Recipient Schools. PowerTools has a rich history of partnering with Early College and Smart Scholar Grant recipient schools comprehensively. We offer leadership coaching to boost admin. capacity to manage the complexities of dual enrollment, staff support and student acheivement. We offer professional learning for staff to help them understand what an Early College is, ways they can build a college-going culture, and strategies to boost high expectations, instructional rigor, connections/support, and a college identity. We further offer college and career readiness content support (often carried out in Advisory

Career Readiness in Advisory and/or youth workshops

PowerTools offers youth workshops and Advisory curriculum that are research-based, interactive and practical. Our work is aligned with NYCDOE College and Career Readiness Standards, and we base our core objectives in alignment with the National Association of Colleges and Educators (NACE)’s eight competencies: professionalism, career and self-development, team building, technology, equity and inclusion, communication and critical thinking.

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.

GUIDED DISCIPLINE

PowerTools is thrilled to offer The Guided Discipline Institute, originally designed by Engaging Schools*. This professional development program helps schools establish equitable and supportive approaches to student discipline. It focuses on reducing punitive practices and creating a school environment that fosters positive behavior, inclusivity, and social-emotional growth. The three-day Institute is centered around building strong relationships, proactive classroom management, restorative practices, equity-centered discipline, and social emotional (academic) learning. Appropriate for new and veteran teachers allike.

* Engaging Schools’ groundbreaking work in fostering equitable, inclusive, and supportive school environments has set the gold standard for forty years, helping students and educators thrive. We are saddened that Engaging Schools is shutting their doors and deeply honored and grateful that they have entrusted PowerTools with carrying forward their extraordinary legacy by transferring their intellectual property to us. Their decades of leadership, innovation, and impact in integrating social-emotional learning, restorative discipline, and equity into education will guide our efforts as we continue their mission.

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

“I want to work with Powertools forever!”

SEL Lead at Business Technology Early College High School 2024

“Thank you for all of your help and flexibility this year, Nina! As a growing school that experienced a lot of change this year, we valued your commitment to helping us execute our ever-changing advisory vision, despite all of the moving pieces that made planning a challenge. See you next year!”

Assistant Principal at Urban Assembly Maker Academy 2024

“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.”

— New York State Education Department Site Visit Report, Nov 2015 Site: East Fordham Academy For the Arts

“Our team at Flatiron is stronger from our partnership with PowerTools! We have benefitted from PowerTools' thought partnership in terms of specific student support and communications and from PowerTools' expertise in leading workshops on topics like memory retention and growth mindset.”

-Senior Education Manager at the Flatiron School 2023

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.

LEADERSHIP COACHING 

PowerTools provides individual and team coaching for school leaders. We use an evidence-based approach to support leaders in building their capacity in areas such as communication, culture building, delegation, productive conflict resolution, management, self-care, and systems thinking. Our DiSC™ certified facilitators utilize the DiSC™ Assessment tool to enhance self-awareness and team dynamics, promoting better negotiation and adaptation, which ultimately boosts team health and efficacy. We employ a “Co-Active” coaching approach that blends coaching with consulting. We have worked with organizations like CUNY, Smart Scholars Grant-winning Early College Schools, and Urban Assembly Schools, providing support for school administrators, Early College School Administration, grade and department team leads, and SEL leads.

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.