The Global Educator Wellness Ambassador Program delivers a paid professional development experience rooted in educator wellness, global education, outdoor education and school-wide social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health practices.
Training from the Global Educator Wellness Ambassador program utilizes the tools of trauma-informed yoga with a focus on bringing the tools of mindfulness and wellness into your classroom. Participants will explore how and why outdoor and global education can reduce mental health risk factors, support behavioral and cognitive well-being, increase confidence, foster deeper knowledge of the self and other cultures, and enhance a person’s self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills through three program phases:
- 200-HR Yoga/SEL/Wellness and Breathe for Change training and Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator (SEL*F) Certification
- Global education learning experience in Norway
- Design and execute a professional learning session for your home district/school
Wellness isn’t achieved without connection. Ambassadors will connect with hundreds of other like-minded educators across the nation, indeed the globe, all with the same passion for bringing the tools of social and emotional wellness to our schools, and into our communities.
How You Will Grow, Learn, and Lead
Duration: October 2023 – December 2024
Credit approval: Six state of Iowa educator renewal license credits
Education delivery: Group meetings in person and over Zoom November 2023 -- June 2024; online (200-hr yoga/SEL/wellness training) + weeklong onsite experience in Norway mid June 2024.
Cost: FREE to 10 selected educators. Thanks to the University of Iowa Baker Teacher Leader Center, this program is available at no cost to selected educators and includes $6,000+ of yoga/mindfulness training and travel to Norway (airfare, lodging, some meals, activities, etc.), plus Iowa educator renewal license credits.
Participants will be expected to pay out of pocket for:
- Most lunches and dinners will be the responsibility of the participants. Participants should be willing to budget at a minimum $400USD for meals;
- Travel from home to the US airport of departure;
- Incidental travel expenses or personal travel expenses in Norway or in transit;
- Passport/Visa Fees.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 22, 2023
Breathe for Change: 200-hr yoga/SEL/wellness training digital training
The digital Breathe for Change 200-hr yoga/SEL/wellness training includes both synchronous and asynchronous content.
The synchronous sessions will be held from 11am-5pm (CST) one weekend per month (on Saturday and Sunday) for six months. The asynchronous work will take place at the trainee’s own pace throughout the training.
Weekend 1 – Jan. 27 & 28, 2024
Weekend 2 – Feb. 24 & 25, 2024
Weekend 3 – March 23 & 24, 2024
Weekend 4 – April 13 & 14, 2024
Weekend 5 – May 4 & 5, 2024
Weekend 6 – June 8 & 9, 2024
Upon completing the training each participant will earn:
- 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification (CYT-200), which is the international gold standard yoga teacher certification that enables you to register through Yoga Alliance (RYT-200).
- Breathe for Change’s Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator (SEL*F) Certification, which qualifies you to lead SEL, mindfulness, and wellness workshops and programs for young people and adults in your school, district, or organization.
Travel to Norway
During Phase 2, participants will engage in learning modules to prepare for a visit to the beautiful country of Norway.
The educational program in Norway will include workshops and seminars through Oslo Metropolitan University, local schools, and outdoor education professionals. Additionally, the week-long Norway experience will include a cultural program, visits to schools and outdoor spaces, yoga and meditation practice.
Participants must be eligible and able to travel. Specific travel dates will be announced later this fall; travel is expected to commence the second or third week of June 2024, lasting for approximately one week.
Participants will be expected to pay out of pocket for:
- Most lunches and dinners will be the responsibility of the participants. Participants should be willing to budget at a minimum 300USD for meals;
- Travel from home to the US airport of departure;
- Incidental travel expenses or personal travel expenses in Norway or in transit;
- Passport/Visa Fees.
Design a professional learning session for your school/district
The third phase of the program is knowledge sharing. Program participants will be required to design and execute a professional learning session(s) for their home district/school, highlighting some of the new perspectives and practices they’ve learned.
These sessions will be recorded and shared with the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, the Baker Teacher Leader Center, UI School of the Wild. It’s important to note that the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health will be collecting data throughout the program to better understand the extent to which participants’ understanding of SEBH, outdoor education, and global education changes, and how this understanding impacts their practice.
Eligibility: Any Iowa licensed K-12 educator, including but not limited to teachers (elementary secondary), administrators, school counselors, paraeducators, and social workers
Process: Complete the application form by September 22, 2023.
- Applications will be reviewed.
- Ten applicants will be selected to participate.
- Interviews may be part of the application process.
- Applicants will be notified by October 1, 2023.