University of Maine Cooperative Extension offers “Teaching from the Heart: Nonviolent Communication in the Elementary Classroom,” an online professional development program, Oct. 24-26, from 3:30 - 5 p.m. 

The program aims to equip educators and elementary school teachers with tools and techniques to foster a compassionate and inclusive classroom environment using nonviolent communication principles.

Using practical exercises and engaging resources, teachers will learn how to effectively communicate with students, resolve conflicts peacefully, build strong relationships based on empathy and understanding, and help create a safe and supportive space where students feel heard, valued and respected. 

The program covers a wide range of topics, including active listening, expressing feelings and needs, empathetic response and collaborative problem-solving. Teachers will also learn strategies to address challenging behaviors, use children’s literature to implement nonviolent communication in the classroom, promote positive communication and cultivate a sense of belonging among students. The online platform also provides a supportive community where teachers can connect, share experiences and receive guidance from an experienced facilitator. 

This program is designed to benefit teachers, educators, after school program staff, caregivers, guidance and summer camp counselors, parents, grandparents and other caregivers. 

Program facilitator Gina Simm, who has a background in Montessori education and spent most of her career as a first-grade teacher, has over 30 years of experience in early childhood education. She is the co-founder of Bay Area Nonviolent Communication. 

A stable internet connection is required. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, and 0.6 CEUs/6 contact hours are available upon request. The program cost is $175 per person.

The registration deadline is Oct. 13 and participants are encouraged to purchase Gina Simm’s book, Heart to Heart: Three Systems for Staying Connected (A Manual for Parents and Teachers). 

For more information and to sign up, visit the program webpage. To request a reasonable accommodation contact Kimberly Lai, um.fhc.pd@maine.edu; 207.338.8002. 

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine's land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state's land grant, sea grant and space grant university, with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. UMaine is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. UMaine Machias is located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation. As Maine's flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution. It attracts students from all 50 states and 86 countries. UMaine currently enrolls 11,571 undergraduate and graduate students, and UMaine Machias enrolls 763 undergraduates. Our students have opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class scholars. UMaine offers 77 bachelor's degrees and six undergraduate certificates, as well as more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn doctoral or master's degrees, professional master's degrees, and graduate certificates. UMaine Machias offers 18 associate and bachelor's degrees, and 14 undergraduate certificates. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide to conserve energy, recycle and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu and machias.edu.