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Al's Pals Training
Core Training on the Al's Pals Curriculum and Teaching Approach
The two-day Wingspan core training that accompanies the Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices curriculum is integral to the program's success. Wingspan's cadre of expert trainers provide hands-on experiences with the curriculum in an open, participatory learning environment. Early childhood educators learn strategies to:
- Apply the concepts of resilience and protective factors to early childhood settings
- Effectively deliver the Al's Pals lessons and use the materials
- Integrate Al's Pals pro-social concepts into their daily teaching and ongoing interactions with the children
- Strengthen protective factors at school by validating children's feelings and experiences, actively communicating clear norms, responding to sensitive issues, and guiding problem-solving
Who Should Attend Training?
All classroom teachers and instructional assistants whose classrooms will participate in Al's Pals are required to attend training.
Administrators, principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors, prevention specialists, education coordinators, school psychologists, grant coordinators, and other resource specialists are encouraged to attend training with the educators to become familiar with, support, and use the same concepts and approaches that the educators will use with the children in their classrooms.
Refresher and Advanced Training for Experienced Al's Pals Teachers
Wingspan offers Refresher and Advanced training sessions for educators who have previously completed the core two-day training and currently use Al's Pals:
- 3-hour Refresher training provides a review and skill building of Al's Pals teaching approaches. Participants are given an opportunity to share their experiences using the program and obtain technical assistance to enhance program implementation. This Refresher training is ideal for educators who have implemented Al's Pals for 1 - 2 years.
- 3-hour Advanced training provides new insights and strategies to fully infuse the program into the classroom. The advanced training is available for teachers who have delivered Al's Pals lessons for at least two years. The training enhances educators' abilities to use Al's Pals to help manage children's challenging behavior, resolve conflicts peacefully, and avoid power struggles.