BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 offers professional development
in the following formats:
Face-to-Face (F) – at both of the IU 17 offices or on-site in your district/organization facilities
Online (O) – via Moodle, Skype or other Internet-based media
Blended (B) – combined face-to-face and online
Hybrid (H) – face-to-face supported and/or augmented by an online component
Professional Development Strands
In addition to the topics listed, BLaST IU 17 offers customized solutions to meet your professional development needs. To discuss available options,
please contact Christina Steinbacher-Reed (570.3238561 Ext. 1071) or  Jerry Christy (570.323.8561 Ext. 1021)
Events in September 2024
| SunSunday | MonMonday | TueTuesday | WedWednesday | ThuThursday | FriFriday | SatSaturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01/2024 | 09/02/2024 | 09/03/2024(1 event)9:00 am: Scooping Success: Crafting Effective Instruction 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Crafting the perfect scoop of effective instructional practices requires careful planning, creativity, and attention to detail to delight the senses and leave a lasting impression. Just as each flavor in an ice cream parlor caters to different tastes, effective instructional practices cater to diverse learning styles and abilities. Effective instructional practices focus on clear communication, engaging and explicit instruction, and meaningful feedback to ensure that students grasp key concepts and retain information. In this series, educators will get a taste for mastering effective instructional practices and pedagogy, ultimately leaving a sweet and memorable impact on every learner. *Need a minimum of 10 participants to hold the series. Act 48 hours: 25 Click HERE to register today! | 09/04/2024 | 09/05/2024 | 09/06/2024 | 09/07/2024 |
| 09/08/2024 | 09/09/2024 | 09/10/2024 | 09/11/2024 | 09/12/2024(1 event)9:00 am: CKLA Curriculum Exploration 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Participants will have the opportunity to review and analyze critical content of the CKLA curriculum, looking for elements of explicit instruction, practice opportunities, and assessments. Teams will collaborate, discuss, and brainstorm possible solutions to problems of practice with CKLA implementation. *Attendees must be currently implementing or exploring Amplify's CKLA curriculum. Attendees may choose to attend all sessions or select the dates that work best. Dates (all sessions run from 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.): Act 48 hours: 5 per session | 09/13/2024 | 09/14/2024 |
| 09/15/2024 | 09/16/2024 | 09/17/2024 | 09/18/2024 | 09/19/2024 | 09/20/2024 | 09/21/2024 |
| 09/22/2024 | 09/23/2024 | 09/24/2024(1 event)9:00 am: Belonging Through A Culture of Dignity 9:00 am - 2:30 pm The research is clear: in order to learn, students must first feel safe at school. Using the book Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation (Cobb & Krownapple, 2019) and the PA Department of Education’s framework for equity, inclusion, and belonging (EIB), participants will delve into systemic trauma-informed practices that ensure all students feel safe and connected at school. Participants will create an action plan for a belonging-focused intervention or activity to implement within their role. Dates/Locations (9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.): Act 48 hours: 20 (must attend all 4 sessions) Click HERE to register today! | 09/25/2024 | 09/26/2024 | 09/27/2024 | 09/28/2024 |
| 09/29/2024 | 09/30/2024 | 10/01/2024 | 10/02/2024(2 events)8:00 am: QBS Initial Training 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Safety-Care is more than crisis management training; it provides the skills and competencies necessary to effectively prevent, minimize, and manage behavioral challenges with dignity, safety, and the possibility of change. Safety-Care delivers the tools you need to be safe when working with behaviorally challenging individuals using up-to-date and effective technologies from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS). These strategies are appropriate for individuals experiencing developmental, neurologic, psychiatric, and other impairments, as well as individuals who have experienced psychological or sexual trauma. Safety-Care promotes a reinforcement-based approach to developing new skills, maintaining safety, and reducing or eliminating restrictive interventions such as restraint. This training lasts two full days; participants must come prepared to demonstrate verbal and physical competencies to earn QBS Safety Care initial certification. Date/Location/Time: Act 48 hours: 13 Click HERE to register today! 9:00 am: School Counselor Collaborative 9:00 am - 2:30 pm This Professional Learning Opportunity for K-12 school counselors will occur three times a year. The cohort package is intended for the consistent attendance of a school counselor for all three sessions. The full-day professional learning topics will include student and staff mental health needs and strategies; legislative updates; programmatic best practices; equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives; counselor-identified needs and PDE initiatives (Chapter 339 K-12 Guidance Plans, Career Education and Work Standards, etc.). Dates/Locations (all sessions are from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm): Act 48 hours: 15 Click HERE to register today! | 10/03/2024(1 event)8:00 am: QBS Initial Training 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Safety-Care is more than crisis management training; it provides the skills and competencies necessary to effectively prevent, minimize, and manage behavioral challenges with dignity, safety, and the possibility of change. Safety-Care delivers the tools you need to be safe when working with behaviorally challenging individuals using up-to-date and effective technologies from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS). These strategies are appropriate for individuals experiencing developmental, neurologic, psychiatric, and other impairments, as well as individuals who have experienced psychological or sexual trauma. Safety-Care promotes a reinforcement-based approach to developing new skills, maintaining safety, and reducing or eliminating restrictive interventions such as restraint. This training lasts two full days; participants must come prepared to demonstrate verbal and physical competencies to earn QBS Safety Care initial certification. Date/Location/Time: Act 48 hours: 13 Click HERE to register today! | 10/04/2024 | 10/05/2024 |