Professional Development for School Leaders & Staff

Coaching Toward a Positive Learning Environment

Approximately 30 min.

Join Melissa White and Tom Cleland from Youth Opportunities in an interactive live webinar where we explore the strengths, goals, and challenges that school leaders observe in young people. We will offer practical guidance, strategies, and tools to foster positive learning environments and promote the wellbeing and growth of students and staff alike.

In this session you’ll learn:

  • Communication strategies for building strong relationships with students.
  • Harnessing changes in the teenage brain to develop habits for thriving.
  • Introduction to The Coaching Model – a tool for positive and lasting growth.
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Personal Development for Parents & Caregivers

The Teenage Brain

Approximately 40 min.

In this webinar for parents and caregivers, Youth Opportunities trainers, Melissa White and Jessica Thomson, discuss important science about the developing teenage brain and what this means for how our young people think, learn, and behave.

In this session you’ll learn:

  • Evidence-based tools to make the most of the changes happening in the brain
  • Strategies to best support any young person to lead their own growth with long-lasting habits
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Creating a Star-Filled Environment

Approximately 55 min.

In this webinar for parents and caregivers Youth Opportunities trainers, Melissa White and Alison Kendall, discuss one of our core concepts from the Personal Leadership Program: sending stars. This tool will support parents with strategies to communicate more effectively with the young people in their lives.

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About the Speakers

Melissa White
Program Trainer and Coordinator

With 27 years of experience in education, Melissa is a dedicated secondary teacher and leader in teacher development across South Australia. She is passionate about empowering young people and their communities to thrive. Melissa is a trainer for the Youth Opportunities Personal Leadership Program and coordinates 360 support and learning for parents, caregivers and teachers.

Tom Cleland
Tom Cleland
Senior Trainer

Tom, a Senior Trainer with 17 years at Youth Opportunities, has positively impacted thousands of students through our programs. He excels in a ‘train the trainer’ role, supporting skill development for new and existing trainers while remaining actively involved in programs for secondary students. Tom’s unwavering passion drives the work we do, helping students achieve success and happiness in their lives.

Jessica Thomson
Trainer

With over 15 years experience as a teacher, training coordinator, project leader and business owner, Jessica’s areas of training experience are strongly rooted in education, wellbeing and leadership. She has an absolute passion for learning and engaging others in the learning process. Her infectious enthusiasm and creative flair help to make learning dynamic and engaging, ensuring learners are able to understand, engage with and thrive in each session. 

Alison Kendall
Trainer

Ali has experience in working with young people over the last 10 years within the disability and community sectors. One of her many strengths is building relationships to assist in high quality program delivery supporting a diverse range of young people to thrive. Her qualifications have given her the expertise and passion to support young people to gain confidence, motivation and increase self-esteem through her encouragement and ability to guide and connect with the students she trains.