Professional Development Series
An annual series of no-cost professional learning opportunities for youth-serving individuals and organizations.
The OYEA Professional Development Series supports Boston's youth population by offering high quality professional educational opportunities to the individuals who serve them every day. This annual series is planned with Boston's youth-serving individuals in mind, offering access to trainings focused on youth work including best practices, mental health, first-aid, and much more.
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1481 TREMONT STREET BOSTON, MA 02120
Upcoming Workshops
You can view and register for all trainings online. Please reach out to daniel.bryan@boston.gov with any questions.
| Date | Title | Trainer | Location | Description |
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Tuesday, November 10 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Restorative Responses to Conflict |
Laurie Chroney-Kyagaba | Bruce C. Bolling Building | Restorative Justice (RJ) Conferencing is a transformative approach to addressing harm and conflict while creating opportunities for accountability, healing, forgiveness, and relationship repair. This training builds on participants’ foundational understanding of restorative practices and focuses on applying those principles when harm or conflict occurs, particularly in youth-serving settings. Participants will explore the purpose and process of RJ conferencing, including how to prepare for and facilitate conferences that center the experiences of those impacted by harm while supporting meaningful accountability and pathways toward repair. Through discussion, practical exercises, and role-plays, participants will develop strategies for navigating conflict, responding to harm without relying solely on punitive approaches, and creating spaces where individuals can take responsibility, experience healing, and work toward reconciliation and restored relationships. |
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Tuesday, November 17 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Mentoring Mindset for Youth Serving Professionals |
Dishon Liang, Mass Mentoring Partnership | Bruce C. Bolling Building | This training introduces mentors and youth program staff to the framework of the “Mentoring Mindset. Intended for those who are just starting out on their mentoring relationship journey, or any mentor/youth worker who is curious, each participant will leave with knowledge of the four core components of the Mentoring Mindset and how they influence our role as mentors. We will also explore how these core components can be shared with our mentees and partners to create a shared understanding of our work. The goal of the Mentoring Mindset framework is to shift the way that mentoring relationships are created, sustained, and leveraged to deepen the shared responsibility of realizing each person’s full potential and their capacity to influence their communities. |
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Tuesday, December 15 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
Trauma Informed Care and Healing Centered Approaches |
Lauren Bard, Health Resources in Action | Bruce C. Bolling Building | Youth work requires understanding trauma and how it impacts the learning and behavior of the youth we support. In this training, participants will review the elements of trauma informed care and learn to recognize the effects of primary and secondary trauma on themselves and others. Through interactive activities, reflection, and small group work, participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to move beyond trauma informed care toward fostering healing approaches that build on youths’ strengths and foster collective resilience. |
2026-27 Program Partners
At OYEA, partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. We're proud to be partnered with these outstanding community organizations to provide high quality professional skills training to Boston’s youth-serving individuals.
Past Workshops
Past Workshops- Adolescent Substance Use
- Strengthening Youth Organizations using Restorative Practices
- Creating Safer Communities for LGBTQ+ Youth
- Recognizing and Responding to Traumatic Stress in Youth
- Navigating AI: Tools, Ethics, and Impact in Youth Work
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Combatting Compassion Fatigue: Hope as a Discipline
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Youth Mental Health 101
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Responsive Coaching: Shaping Athlete Behavior
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Restorative Justice: Building Trust in Circles
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Creative Tools for Youth Engagement: Art as a Language
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Supporting Young People Experiencing Grief and Loss
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Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification
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Parent & Family Engagement
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Self Care – Finding Balance in Challenging Times
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The Power of Evaluation: Strengthening Programs with Logic Models
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Coaching with Empathy
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Motivational Interviewing for Youth Workers
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Understanding Anxiety: Creating Supports for Youth Part 2
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Developing Competitors Through Positive Coaching
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Understanding Anxiety: Creating Supports for Youth Part 1
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Empowering Boston’s Youth: Career Readiness and Workforce Development
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Adult, Infant, & Child Heartsaver CPR with AED Certification Course
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LGBTQ+ Identity and Expression 201
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Introduction to Restorative Justice for Youth Workers
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Social Emotional Learning
- Adolescent Development and Relationship Building
- Facilitation and Group Management
- Level Up! Improve Your Program's Quality
- Introduction to Restorative Justice for Youth Workers
- Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification
- Retention and Recruitment of Youth
- Real Talk: Healthy Relationships, Conflict Resolution, and Trauma-Informed Care
- Understanding Anxiety: Creating Supports for Youth
- Chronic Marijuana Use in Teens & Young Adults
- Adult, Infant, & Child Heartsaver CPR with AED Certification Course
- Best Practices in Fundraising
- Creating Safe Communities for LGBTQ+ Youth
- Addressing Youth Substance Use Disorder
- Building and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries with Youth
- Juvenile Justice 101
- Essentials of Working with Youth and Young Adults
Who's Involved:
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1481 TREMONT STREET BOSTON, MA 02120
