
Get in Touch!
Email: registration@lsv.uky.edu
Leave a message at
859-257-1267
The focus of the Institute is to provide trainers with new ideas and strategies that enable them to be more effective in facilitating the learning process. This year the Institute will also have a focus on self-care. Many have found themselves trying to find and keep their footing throughout the current pandemic. We heard the call and have incorporated self-care topics into the Institute to assist in finding or reminding you of techniques and tools that can help you thrive as a trainer. Without taking care of yourself, you will not have the energy and enthusiasm to work with your training participants. We hope the Institute encourages you to continue improving your training and self-care skills. Let’s Turn Knowledge into Action!

Trainers Institute: At Home Edition Testimonials
“Thank you for the opportunity to learn new tools and share (engage) meaningful training with others.”
“The professionalism of the trainers inspire me to ‘be like them’. Thanks for an excellent experience.“
“I am confident that I have valuable information that will make future trainings more effective … excellent as always.”
Pricing
Thank You to All Kentucky Early Care and Education Credentialed Trainers!
One Low Price for the Entire Institute!
Want to learn more about how to register? Take a few moments and view this short video.
📌 Registration available from February 9th – April 14th, 2022
💻 Group registration not available
💳 Mastercard and Visa accepted
Session Levels

Session Levels Defined
Session levels are an easy way for participants to find the right session.
Session Descriptions: May 2 – 6
Monday, May 2: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm EST
Resilience: Surviving, Reviving, & Thriving in Challenge & Change
Paul Wesselmann
Session Level: Intermediate
Training hours: 2.0
We’ve been dealing with unprecedented amounts of challenge and change, and we’re not out of the woods yet. This fast-paced session will explore four strategies to keep going and keep growing through all kinds of difficulties. We’ll also cover three questions that will help you move forward faster, and two balancers that will maximize your growth potential.
Due to low registration, the face-to-face Watch Parties scheduled in Lexington and Louisville have been canceled. If you registered for one of these events, you are now automatically registered for the virtual event.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
💡 Identify and use available learning and growth opportunities that will assist them in leaning into times of difficulty and transition.
💡 Learn ways to extend compassion, kindness, and generosity to ourselves and others.
💡 Identify and address opportunities that maximize physical, emotional, and spiritual health while minimizing barriers that keep us from bringing our full and best selves to work and life.
Paul Wesselmann
The Ripples Guy
Get a sense of Paul’s energy and presentation style at https://theripplesguy.com/ or https://twitter.com/RipplesGuy
Paul is a warm and engaging speaker whose inspiring keynotes and trainings have helped thousands of educators, students, and professionals over the past 20 years. Paul holds degrees in psychology and education, is the author of two books, and 30,000 subscribers enjoy his weekly inspirational Ripples emails.
Tuesday, May 3: 10:00 am – 11:30 am EST
All Together Now: How to Tackle the Hybrid Learning Space
Alicia Benben & Jennifer Pusateri
Session Level: Intermediate
Training hours: 1.5
As organizations begin to return to in-person training and workshops, there still may be a need, or desire, from individuals who wish to join online. Delivering instruction both face-to-face and online, sometimes called hybrid, blended, or blended synchronous learning poses unique challenges for both the trainer and learners. Join University of Kentucky’s online instructional design consultants, Jennifer Pusateri and Alicia Benben, to discuss approaches to the blended learning environment and how best to connect with learners across various spaces.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
💡 Discuss how best to facilitate a blended audience to promote engagement and interaction.
💡 Identify tools and technology that can aid in a smooth learning experience.
💡 Select strategies for “reading” a hybrid audience.

Alicia Benben
Instructional Designer
University of Kentucky- Office of Teaching, Learning, and Academic Innovation
uky.edu/tlai/home
Alicia Benben is an Instructional Designer for UK Online, part of the office of Teaching, Learning, and Academic Innovation at the University of Kentucky. As an Instructional Designer, she enjoys working with faculty from a variety of disciplines on the design and development of programs and courses for online delivery, and on rethinking course content in various mediums to help students achieve their learning outcomes. A strong proponent of having a well-rounded instructional toolkit, Alicia is passionate about learning new tools and technologies that may aid in the classroom experience. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky, Alicia spent more than 10 years in the equine industry in both hands-on and higher education roles, including as an Assistant Professor in Equine Studies at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Alicia holds a Master’s in Instructional Systems Design at the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Equine Business Management Specialization, from Cazenovia College.

Jennifer Pusateri
Universal Design Consultant
Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching
www.uky.edu/celt/
Jennifer Pusateri comes to the University of Kentucky from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), where she served as an education consultant and specialist in differentiated learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). During the 2017-2018 school year, she created and implemented a year-long UDL pilot program where she presented regular training and instructional coaching to a cohort of eight middle school teachers. Prior to her work at KDE, Jennifer taught at a nationally-recognized school for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in Louisville, Kentucky where she implemented the UDL framework with students in grades K-8. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kentucky where she plans to focus her research on the impact of universally-designed instruction on students with ADHD.
Tuesday, May 3: 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm EST
10 Effective Debriefing Tools & Techniques – Strategies for Meaningful Experiences
Kristin Salada
Session Level: Intermediate
Training hours: 1.5
Reflection helps learners make connections between their educational experiences and real life, as well as future learning. Creative reflection activities can assist in identifying strengths of the content and delivery in connecting with the learners as well as identify possible areas for improvement. We will learn a series of reflection activities that you can easily use in your programs immediately. Attendees will receive a digital asset package with templates to customize the activities to their own training.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
💡 Identify 10 simple & effective debriefing techniques from being introduced to innovative processing tools that demonstrate each technique.
💡 Examine the value of mixing up processing methods so participants and facilitators do not get stuck in a rut.
💡 Create their own debriefing activities.
Kristin Salada
New Angle Consulting
Facilitator
newangleconsulting@gmail.com
Kristin Salada is a team and leadership development consultant, team coach, and facilitator who has spent 24 years in experience-based learning and group facilitation. She is an expert at helping work groups have conversations that matter and become high performing teams. Kristin’s approach is energetic, professional, and personable. She incorporates engaging experiential learning exercises to bring about increased self-awareness and team esteem resulting in improved work performance. She rides her bike to support Multiple Sclerosis research, and narrates audiobooks and e-learning courses for companies.
Wednesday, May 4: 10:00 am – 11:00 am EST
Engagement Strategies to Promote Connection and Mental Wellness
Kristen Dahl & Patti Singleton
Session Level: Initial
Training hours: 1.0
Did you know the average person has an attention span of only 7 minutes? Create a welcoming environment for learning and encourage participation by using some simple and effective strategies to keep your audience engaged. In this session, we will share some tools and strategies for helping you engage your audience in creative, interactive ways. We will be using questions, storytelling, and other tools for engagement.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
💡 Discuss ways to engage your audience for increased engagement and relationship building.
💡 Examine tools and strategies and share your best tips.
💡 List ways of mitigating Zoom Fatigue and increase participation in online training.

Kristen Dahl
Program Manager
Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
www.mhddcenter.org
Kristen Dahl is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES®). Kristen serves as a Program Manager for the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. She is passionate about advocating for mental health and wellness, loves to read fiction and has a huge collection of fidgets to help her stay still and in camera range on Zoom events.

Patti Singleton
Division Director, Professional Learning
Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
www.mhddcenter.org
Patti Singleton is a Division Director at the Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky. She leads Institute-wide professional learning initiatives. Patti has expertise in instructional design, digital accessibility, storytelling, and strategic planning.
Wednesday, May 4: 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST
Unlock the Next Level of Course Design: An Adventure in Gamification
Tracey Ball
Session Level: Initial
Training hours: 1.0
Gamifying educational content can be a very effective tool for many subjects. This session introduces participants to concepts of gamification, best practices, and how to utilize tools found outside and inside of a learning management system. Examples include free third-party apps, inclusive pedagogy, game-based lessons, and Escape Room modules aimed at enhancing any subject matter. Participants do not need to be advanced course developers to build quality gamified content, and this session is designed to reach all levels of expertise.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
Participants will:
💡 Apply gamified design principles to online lessons or assignments.
💡 Identify best practices in building gamified activities.
Tracey Ball
Northern Kentucky University
Instructional Designer
ballt6@nku.edu
Tracey Ball has been an Instructional Designer for Northern Kentucky University (NKU) since 2020 as the lead in pedagogy and theory. She has been involved in education for many years gathering an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts, a bachelor’s degree in History, and a master’s degree in Instructional Design and Technology, and is considering a PhD one day in the future. This is Tracey’s favorite training session to present and continues to expand and update content as technology evolves. She has a passion for promoting learning in fun and unique ways to capture students’ attention and create authentic retention. At NKU she has developed and delivered various trainings and workshops focused on game-based learning principles, using social media in the classroom, utilizing concepts of mobile learning, building robust rubrics, and project-based learning methods.
Thursday, May 5: 10:00 am – 11:30 am EST
Let’s Get Visual: Using Visual Aids to Plan Training
Dawn Griffin, Julie Halitzka, & Patti Singleton
Session Level: Intermediate
Training hours: 1.5
Throughout this interactive session, we will explore various tools you can use to make your training more visual. We will learn the basics of brainstorming, mind mapping, and storyboarding and explore apps that you can use to create future training. Resources will be provided to support your future in-person or virtual training.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
💡 Identify brainstorming, mind mapping, and storyboarding techniques to use when creating content.
💡 Examine tools and strategies and share your best tips.
💡 List apps for brainstorming, mind mapping, and storyboarding that can be used virtually or in person to plan for training content.


Dawn Griffin
Instructional Design Coordinator
Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Dawn Griffin has been a champion for quality in early care and education for decades. Her experience has been in the classroom and continued as a regional coach, promoting best practices for childcare centers and trainers. Dawn now serves as an Instructional Designer with the Human Development Institute, developing learning content to build the capacity of the community we serve.


Julie Halitzka
Early Care and Education Coach
Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Julie Halitzka is a Level 5 Credentialed Trainer, with an Infant and Toddler CDA and has completed her MS in Early Childhood Studies specializing in Administration, Management, and Leadership at Walden University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music and her MDiv in Worship. She has ten years of experience in early childhood education, serving as a Lead Teacher and Site Director. Julie is great with technology and websites and spent time as a full-time web developer with a specialty in web design and usability. She has provided higher education classroom A/V Tech and online course development support and has been part of technology teams live streaming in-person events.



Patti Singleton
Division Director, Professional Learning
Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Patti Singleton is a Division Director at the Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky. She leads Institute-wide professional learning initiatives. Patti has expertise in instructional design, digital accessibility, storytelling, and strategic planning.
Thursday, May 5: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm EST
Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into Early Childhood Staff Training
Edward L. Palmer Sr.
Session Level: Intermediate
Training hours: 2.0
Trainers will learn about the presence of racial, ethnic, and equity disparities within the populations served by early childhood programs. This will include the use of research, data, and individual experiences to help minimize the negative impact of bias on disenfranchised populations. In addition, trainers will learn about the importance of incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into their professional development and training toolkits.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
Participants will:
💡 Identify the presence of disparity and inequities within the population they serve.
💡 Identify the impact of disparate treatment of children as a result of implicit bias.
💡 Apply inclusive language for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the training environment.
Edward L. Palmer Sr.
The Messenger
Pastor, Certified Diversity Trainer and Racial and Ethnic Disparities Capstone Fellow
www.elpalmer.com
pastorelpalmer@elpalmer.com
Pastor Palmer is a Certified Diversity Trainer and works to eliminate Racial Disparities, within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Pastor Palmer is also a Disabled U.S. Army Veteran. In 2017, Pastor Palmer was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award winner presented by Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin as well as the Courage for Kids Award presented by Kentucky Youth Advocates. In May of 2019, he was awarded the Thurgood Marshall Social Justice Impact Award present by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Pastor is Chair of the State Inner-Agency Council’s Diversity Standing Committee and current Immediate Past Chair of the National Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ). He is a certified Racial and Ethnic Disparities Capstone Project Fellow through the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University. In the Spring of 2021, Pastor Palmer co-authored the article “Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game: The Importance of Systemic Change to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities.” for the Juvenile Justice Update newsletter for state legislators.
Friday, May 6: 10:00 am – 11:00 am EST
E.A.T.: Experience-Awareness-Theory for Training Health
Amy Saville
Session Level: Intermediate
Training hours: 1.0
Experience-Awareness-Theory is the foundation on which The Bob Pike Group builds its training, but how exactly can you incorporate experiential learning into your material? In this session, learn a variety of ways to give your participants an experience that opens the door for learning and increases retention of your content.
Learning Outcomes-Participants will be able to:
Participants will:
💡 Unpack the brain science that shows how training design can increase behavior change
💡 Discover why most training presentations are backwards and what to do instead
💡 Discover a repeatable process to structure content in any training setting
Amy Saville
The Bob Pike Group
LCSW, MSW, Training Consultant
www.bobpikegroup.com
For over 15 years, Amy has been helping organizations and individuals change for the better. At Rutgers University, she coordinates a system-wide culture change initiative for the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission, training professionals in best-practices and guiding teams to ensure new skills are put to use. As both a training consultant and a licensed clinical social worker, Amy combines her expertise in human behavior with the Creative Training Techniques of The Bob Pike Group to create dynamic, meaningful learning experiences for her participants that help professionals grow.
Ways to Connect Throughout the Year!
Join the Training Coaches in a private Facebook group specifically designed for Kentucky’s Credentialed Trainers to connect. It’s a great place to find training tips, tools, resources and updates from the Division of Child Care.
Visit www.facebook.com/groups/1884401974955801 or connect using the button below.




Trainer Connections are a series of ongoing events planned for Trainers, by Trainers, and held throughout Kentucky. They are opportunities for Trainers to get together, share resources, ideas, and network. Trainer Connections may be hosted online or in-person in various regions based on the needs of each community of Trainers. Unable to make it? All sessions are archived.
Visit http://www.hdilearning.org/product/fet-trainer-connections-online-community/ and add FET: Trainer Connection Online Community to your cart. Check it out, explore the archives, and learn.
For more information contact your local Training Coach.

