Looking for a wellness & self-care training to offer with your child care network or organization? Need something to help boost morale and help renewed in the work that you do with young children? I would be delighted to find a few hosts for my P.O.W.E.R. training series!

Training Title:  P.O.W.E.R. ~ Path of Wellness, Environment, and Relationships

Ten hours of professional development training hours. (Counts in BFIS as Advanced Specialized Care, see note at the end)

Format: Delivered by Zoom – several different options available. One hour per week for six weeks -OR- as 3 two hour sessions -OR- one full day SIX hour training; we can also do additional application homework for a total of 4 hours of outside of class work to include reading articles, self reflection, and written self care action plan.

Training fee: $125 per hour x 6 hours = $750 (for up to 15 participants)

Capacity: 15 maximum participants. A smaller group allows for a more supportive experience.

Workshop Description: As childcare providers it is easy to feel like we are giving away our power and begin to feel burned out. During this time of social distancing and facing the COVID 19 pandemic we are even more overwhelmed in how to care for ourselves. We will explore the eight domains of wellness and determine which areas in life to add focus and attention. We will discuss ways to improve the environments that we live, work, and socialize that align with our core values. We will brainstorm how to develop nurturing and supportive relationships as a way to build support for one another.  Throughout the sessions participants will have the support of an ongoing group that will give them the opportunity for growth and transformation as they find their own path back to reclaiming their inner power. 

 Learning Objectives:

Participants will practice recognizing and addressing issues related to vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.

Participants will explore the eight domains of wellness and determine which areas in their life they need to add focus and attention as a powerful way to develop meaningful self-care routines.

Participants will discuss ways to improve the environments that we live, work, and socialize to align with our core values. Journal prompts and guidance on how to begin a Reflective Practice will help providers become intentional in how they create safe, nurturing learning and work environments.

Participants will create self-care actions plans with daily, monthly, and yearly goals to revitalize their own personal wellness.

Participants will brainstorm how to develop nurturing and supportive relationships with other child care providers as a powerful way to find support in the field.

Participants will explore how to establish “professional support teams” and “community care” models in order to foster joy and longevity in the field of Early Childhood Education

Bio for Presenter: April Zajko, M.Ed. began her career as a massage therapist and yoga instructor. While earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, April began to lead women’s retreats and stress management seminars at a holistic health center in Delaware. Once April earned her Master’s Degree in Education, she began to weave her holistic minded approach into her work with young children and with her adult learners. Currently, April teaches early childhood courses for the Community College of Vermont and leads professional development for child care providers around the state of Vermont. April graduated from the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification program at the Sivanada Yoga Center in Val Morin, Quebec in 1996 and earned a second 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification from the Heart Space Yoga Studio in St. Johnsbury in March 2019. April is also an October 2019 graduate of the Snelling Center for Government’s Early Childhood Leadership Institute. April embraces the value of reclaiming our personal power, both as we advocate on behalf of children while simultaneously learning how to take good care of ourselves. April believes that through the models of self-care, professional support teams, and community care our joy and longevity in the field of Early Childhood Education will be persevered.

Professional Team Building and Self-Care – counts as ASC hours for BFIS

• Team development: roles and effective practices

• Reflective practice and supervision

• Learning about self-care strategies for professionals

• Recognizing and addressing vicarious trauma