BRAVER: Boosting Resiliency And Voice to Empower & Retain

Could your personal resiliency skills use a little boost this fall?
Would some cohort-based peer and professional support help empower you to show up at school from a place of joy?

Teaching is hard and takes compassion and courage. Educators must have the ability to show up each day as multifaceted humans if they are going to create and cultivate the type of learning environment necessary for authentic belonging and effective instruction. 

As a benefit of your union membership, this cohort-based course provides members who have completed either the BRAVE program or Early Career Teaching Seminar an opportunity to reconnect with other educators from across the state as we continue to collaborate and support one another. Using the central course text by teacher, curriculum specialist and principal, Bryan Harris, “17 Things Resilient Teachers Do” will help you learn practical ways to manage the stress of teaching and avoid burnout.  BRAVER participants will work on boosting their own resiliency and voice with concise and practical applications needed to continue showing up at school each day from a place of joy. 

Session dates 

  • October 10, 2026 (Public Education Stakeholder Panel) in-person in St. Paul from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • November 14, 2026 (Union & Contract Resources) via Zoom from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • December 5, 2026 (Cultivating Sustainable Joy) via Zoom from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Course benefits

  • Cohort-based peer and professional support.
  • Mileage and meals for our first in-person session (and hotel accommodations, if needed, for those who live greater than 35 miles from St. Paul).
  • Each participant will receive one copy of Bryan Harris’, “17 Things Resilient Teachers Do”
  • Professional development speakers on Public Education Stakeholder Involvement, Union & Contract Resources, and Cultivating Sustainable Joy.
  • 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) pending full course completion.
  • Option to earn 1 or 3 discounted graduate credits from Minnesota State University Mankato School of Education pending payment and additional course work.

Contact information

Program Coordinator
Melissa Del Rosario, Education Issues Specialist
Melissa.DelRosario@edmn.org
651-247-5548

Program Office Assistant
Elizabeth Pettersen, Education Issues Support
Elizabeth.Pettersen@edmn.org
651-292-4893

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