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BEST/VTmtss Summer Institute

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Materials for the 2026 BEST Summer Institute

 

General Materials & Information:

 

Special Activities:

  • Monday Evening, 5:00 – 6:30 pm: Meet, Greet & Eat!, Poolside (weather permitting) or Preston’s Restaurant (in hotel)
  • Tuesday Afternoon, 4:30 – 5:30 pm: Yoga, Snowshed Ballroom
  • Tuesday Night, 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Trivia Night, Oscar Wilde Ballroom (a lite fare menu will be available in this location from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m., so come early and place your order!)
  • Wednesday Night, 7:30 – 10:30 pm: Karaoke/Dance Party, Oscar Wilde Ballroom

 

Keynotes:

Monday – Dr. Shelley Moore – Designing for Diversity: Considering Inclusive Frameworks to Plan for All

Tuesday – Cornelius Minor – Empowered Educators, Thriving Schools: Student-Centered Learning for a Changing World

 

General Session:

Thursday – Dr. Deonna Smith – Joy: The Secret Ingredient

 

Strands:

Strand A: Holistic Restorative Approaches Foundations

Presenters: Jessica Villeneuve and Camille Koosmann

 

Strand B: Restorative Approaches: Responding When Things Have Gone Wrong

Presenter: Jon Kidde

 

Strand C: High-Impact UDL Strategies and Curriculum Design

Presenter: Dr. Shelley Moore

 

Strand D: Cultivating Joyful & Inclusive Classrooms

Presenter: Dr. Deonna Smith

 

Strand E: From Prompt-Dependent to Self-Directed: Teaching Executive Function Skills Across the School Day

Presenter: Sarah Ward

 

Strand F: Building Compassionate, Connected Learning Communities: Play with Intention and Purpose

Presenters: Howard Moody and Maureen Burford

 

Strand G: Building Internal Capacity for Training and Consultation Around Trauma-Responsive Practices

Presenter: Dr. Joelle van Lent

 

Strand H: Designing Positive Classrooms: Practices and Systems to Support Students and Educators

Presenter: Katie Meyer

 

Strand I: Building Strong Foundations: Relationships, Universal Systems, and Function-based Thinking

Presenter: Jeremy Tretiak

 

Strand J: Installing Universal PBIS for the Success of All (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Strand K: Refreshing, Enhancing, & Deepening Universal PBIS (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Strand L: Installing Targeted Systems and Check-In/Check-Out (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Strand M: Beyond CICO: Expanding your Menu of Targeted Interventions (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Strand N: Installing Intensive Systems and Building FBA Capacity for Students with Complex Needs (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

 

Workshops:

 

Workshop 1 – Leading Restorative Circles in Elementary School

Presenter: Lainie Oshlag

 

Workshop 2 – Building the Bridge: Implementing Effective Targeted Supports

Presenter: Lauralee Keach

 

Workshop 3 – From Framework to Practice: Building and Refining Your Inventory of Targeted Supports

Presenters: Sara Bailey and Caitlin Toleno

 

Workshop 4 – Emotions and Social Communication: How Emotions Offer Perspective Within the Dance of Communication

Presenter: Laura Bonazinga Bouyea

 

Workshop 5 – Connection, Belonging, and Practice: Centering LGBTQ+ Youth in Our Schools & Communities

Presenters: Eliza Davison and Amanda Rohdenburg

 

Workshop 6 – Beyond the Classroom: Community Schools as Engines of Connection and Care

Presenters: Peter Knox and Jess DeCarolis

 

Workshop 7 – Flourishing in an Ever-Changing Health Environment: Well-being for the Busy and Burned-Out

Presenter: Gillian Pieper

 

Workshop 8 – Fostering Curiosity: How Getting Muddy and Exploring the World Nurtures Creativity, Cognition, and Resilience

Presenter: Erik Shonstrom

 

Workshop 9 – Administrator Training: Rule 4500 – Restraint, Seclusion, and Exclusionary Discipline Practices

Presenter: Ashley Riendeau

 

Workshop 10 – What is PBIS Really? Perspectives from Two Administrators

Presenter: Rick Dustin-Eichler and Sara Raabe

 

Workshop 11 – The Wise View: Practical Strategies for Compassion and Connection

Presenter: Maureen Burford

 

Workshop 12 – Running School Teams and Meetings Restoratively

Presenter: Camille Koosmann

 

Workshop 13 – How Can School Teams Collect & Use Classroom Data to Shape Effective Practice?

Presenter: Katie Meyer

 

Workshop 14 – Utilizing PBIS to Integrate Trauma-Responsive Practices

Presenter: Kym Asam

 

Workshop 15 – Understanding Continuous Improvement Plans – The First Step in Strengthening Meaningful and Collaborative Stakeholder Engagement

Presenters: Josh Souliere and Toni Marra

 

 

Materials for the 2025 BEST/VTmtss Summer Institute

 

General Materials & Information:

 

Special Activities:

  • Monday Evening, 5:00 – 6:30 pm: Meet, Greet & Eat!, Poolside (weather permitting) or Preston’s Restaurant (in hotel)
  • Tuesday Afternoon, 4:30 – 5:30 pm: Yoga, Snowshed Ballroom
  • Tuesday Night, 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Trivia Night, Oscar Wilde Ballroom (a lite fare menu will be available in this location from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m., so come early and place your order!)
  • Wednesday Afternoon, 1:40 – 4:30 pm: BEST/Act 230 Grant Funding Office Hours with Laura Greenwood (Northstar I)
  • Wednesday Evening, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Water Activities, Hotel Pool
  • Wednesday Night, 7:30 – 10:30 pm: Karaoke/Dance Party, Oscar Wilde Ballroom

 

Keynotes:

Monday – Dr. Kathleen Lane – Data Informed Instruction in Tiered Systems to Meet Students’ Multiple Needs: Creating Positive, Productive, and Joyful Learning Environments

 

Tuesday – Dr. Shelley Moore – Inclusive Education Today: Working Together to Understand What it is and Why it Matters

 

General Session:

Thursday – Howard Moody – Connection Before Content: Playfulness, Engagement, and Gratitude

Materials

PowerPoint

 

Strands:

Strand A: Strengthening Schools Through The Inclusive Skill-Building Learning Approach (ISLA) Model

Presenter: Patti Hershfeldt

 

Strand B: Creating a Trauma-Informed School Community: Building Knowledge, Belonging, and Hope

Presenter: Joelle van Lent

 

Strand C: Behavior Intervention Boot Camp: The Basics and Beyond

Presenter: Gregg Stoller

 

CANCELLED – Strand D: Celebrating 50 Years of IDEA: Promoting Joyful Futures for Students with Disabilities

Presenter: Kristabel Stark

 

Strand E: Exploring Play as a Strategy for Both Teaching and Learning

Presenter: Robin Ploof

 

Strand F: Building Brave Connections: Leading Interconnected Systems and Navigating Challenging Conversations for Mental Health Collaboration (for Teams ONLY)

Presenter: Ami Flammini

 

Strand G: Shining Brighter Together in the Classroom: Practices and Systems to Support Students and Educators

Presenter: Brandi Simonsen

 

Strand H: Integrating Function-Based and Restorative Approaches

Presenters: Jon Kidde and Jeremy Tretiak

 

Strand I: Inspire, Engage, Connect, and Build Community: Experiential, Brain-Based Approaches

Presenter: Jen Stanchfield

 

Strand J: Holistic Restorative Approaches Foundations

Presenters: Jessica Villeneuve and Camille Koosmann

 

Strand K: Strengthening Your Continuous Improvement Planning

Presenters: Josh Souliere, Toni Marra, Simona Kragh, and Marianna Charalabopoulos

 

Strand L: VTPBIS Universal Training (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

CANCELLED – Strand M: VTPBIS Targeted Training (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

CANCELLED – Strand N: VTPBIS Intensive Training (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Strand O: Refreshing, Enhancing, and Deepening Universal PBIS Implementation (for PBIS school teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Strand P: Expanding and Enhancing Targeted Interventions for Social and Academic Success (for School Teams ONLY)

Presenters: VTPBIS State Team Trainers

 

Workshops:

 

Workshop 1 – Igniting Passion, Joy, and Connection with Play

Presenter: Howard Moody

Materials

 

Workshop 2 – Shining Brighter for All: Intentionally Intensifying Classroom Practices to Support Students with Disabilities

Presenter: Brandi Simonsen

 

Workshop 3 – Cultivating Joyful Equity in Classrooms and Schools

Presenters: Rebecca Lallier

 

Workshop 4 – What is PBIS Really?: Perspectives from Two Administrators

Presenters: Janet Cash, Dan Rivers, Ashley Rich, and Noelle Higginson

 

Workshop 5 – Bridging Gaps, Building Connections: Strengthening Family Engagement for Student Success

Presenter: Trisha Wright and Nicole Aversano

 

Workshop 6 – Bringing Social-Emotional-Learning (SEL) Competencies into the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Presenters: Ana Russo, Ian Burfoot-Rochford, and Cassie Santo 

 

Workshop 7 – Flourishing in an Ever-Changing Health Environment: Well-being for the Busy and Burned-Out

Presenter: Gillian Pieper

 

Workshop 8 – Using Data to Continuously Improve PBIS Systems in Middle and High Schools

Presenters: Michael Ruppel, Joel Jones, and Aly Callahan

 

Workshop 9 – Getting to WITH: The Heart of Restorative Practices

Presenter: Camille Koosmann

 

Workshop 10 – Making Schools Places of Belonging for ALL

Presenter: Kym Asam

Google folder with materials

 

Workshop 11 – The Restorative Leader: Role-Modeling for Your School Community

Presenter: Jessica Villeneuve

 

CANCELLED – Workshop 12 – Using Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Data to Build Interventions Across the Tiers

Presenter: Mandy Couturier

 

CANCELLED – Workshop 13 – Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA)… Oh My!

Presenters: Josh Souliere, Toni Marra, Simona Kragh, and Marianna Charalabopoulos

 

Workshop 14 – Building and Sustaining Collective Ownership

Presenter: Lauralee Keach

 

Workshop 15 – “A Glitch in the Matrix”: Aligning behavior responses that are equitable through a whole school population

Presenters: Eric Becker and Craig Aylward

 

CANCELLED – Workshop 16 – The Power of Restorative Practices Mentors

Presenters: Ben Parker and Carrie Gilman

 

CANCELLED  – Workshop 17 – Rooted & Resilient: Cultivating Self-Awareness and Growth for Educators

Presenters: Liz Lawson

 

 

Materials for the 2024 BEST/VTmtss Summer Institute


General Materials & Information:

 

Special Activities:

  • Monday Morning, 8:15 – 9:00 am: “Ease-In Time”
  • Monday Lunch, 12:40 – 1:40 pm: Join Trevor Muir for a Q & A Luncheon. Grab your lunch, utensils, and drinks in the ballroom and join us at Preston’s.
  • Monday Evening, 5:00 – 6:30 pm: Meet, Greet & Eat!, Poolside (weather permitting) or Preston’s Restaurant (in hotel)
  • Tuesday Lunch, 12:40 – 1:40 pm: VTPBIS School/SU/SD Coordinators and Administrators Networking Lunch. Grab your lunch, utensils, and drinks in the ballroom and join us at Preston’s.
  • Tuesday Afternoon, 4:30 – 5:30 pm: Yoga, Snowshed Ballroom
  • Tuesday Night, 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Trivia Night, Oscar Wilde Ballroom (a lite fare menu will be available in this location from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m., so come early and place your order!)
  • Wednesday Afternoon, 1:40 – 5:00 pm: BEST/Act 230 Grant Funding Office Hours with Laura Greenwood (Northstar I)
  • Wednesday Evening, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Water Workout, Hotel Pool
  • Wednesday Night, 7:30 – 10:30 pm: Karaoke, Oscar Wilde Ballroom

Keynotes:

Monday – Trevor Muir – Connecting Students to School

Tuesday – Dr. Rhonda Nese – Using an Equity Lens to Magnify Student Success


General Session:

Thursday – Dr. Joelle van Lent – Building Compassion Satisfaction to Create a Place of Belonging

 

Strands:

Strand A – VTPBIS Universal Training

Presenters: VTPBIS State Trainers

 

Strand D – Refreshing, Enhancing, and Deepening Universal PBIS Training 

Presenters: VTPBIS State Trainers

 

Strand E – Expanding and Enhancing Targeted Interventions for Social and Academic Success

Presenters: VTPBIS State Trainers

 

Strand F – Everyday Equity: Achieving Equity in Your School Every Day in Every Way

Presenters: Dr. Sharla Horton-Williams and Dr. Toni Harrison-Kelly

 

Strand G – No Such Thing as a Bad Kid: Understanding and Responding to All Students Using a Trauma-Informed, Strength-Based Approach to Create a Positive Culture in Every School

Presenter: Charles Appelstein

 

Strand H – Systems to Support Young Children: Implementing Early MTSS and Pyramid Model

Presenters: Kate Rogers 

 

Strand I – Envisioning An Interconnected Future: Schools, Mental Health Partners, and Community Members All Working Together (School Teams ONLY)

Presenter: Ami Flammini

 

Strand J – Classroom Practices to Foster Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Growth

Presenter: Nicole Peterson

 

Strand L – Holistic Restorative Approaches Foundations 

Presenters: Jessica Villeneuve and Camille Koosmann

 

Strand M – Embedding Function-Based Thinking within Restorative Approaches

Presenters: Jon Kidde and Jeremy Tretiak

 

Strand N – Beyond Behavior Plans: The Power of Effective Tier One in Transforming Your Classroom/School-wide Culture (School Teams ONLY)

Presenter: Gregg Stoller

 

Strand O – Cultivating Trauma Responsive Schools: Supporting the Development, Connection, and Engagement of All Community Members

Presenter: Joelle van Lent

 

Workshops:

Workshop A – The Power of Restorative Practices Mentors: How Mentors Can Teach Younger Students the Community-Building Power of Restorative Practices

Presenters: Ben Parker & Carrie Gilman

 

Workshop B – Centering Equity within a Social, Emotional, Behavioral Learning Framework

Presenter: Rebecca Lallier

 

Workshop C – Building Relational Trust and Connection with Play

Presenter: Howard Moody

 

Workshop D – The Restorative Leader: Role-Modeling for Your School Community

Presenter: Jessica Villeneuve

 

Workshop E – The Social Tango: Effective Communication for our Diverse Social World

Presenter: Laura Bonazinga Bouyea

 

Workshop F – SEL and Special Education: Integrating Inclusive Practices at All Tiers

Presenter: Kristabel Stark

 

Workshop G – Running School Teams and Meetings Restoratively

Presenter: Camille Koosmann

 

Workshop H – Building and Sustaining Collective Ownership

Presenter: Lauralee Keach

 

Workshop I – Restorative Practices and Youth-Adult Partnership in Upper Elementary School

Presenters: Jackie Verley, Mark Scott, and Emily Neilsen

 

Workshop J – High-Leverage Universal Classroom Practices to Promote Student Engagement

Presenter: Kym Asam

 

Workshop K – Applying the Foundational Skills of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI)

Presenter: Ken Kramberg

 

Workshop N – Connecting The Dots: How Early MTSS and MTSS Can Play Together

Presenters: Beth Peloquin and Jackie Sprague

 

Workshop O – Elevating Educational Experiences for All Using Universal Design for Learning

Presenter: Alison Celmer

 

 

 

Archived Materials

BSI 2023

BSI 2022

BSI 2021

BSI 2020

BSI 2019

BSI 2018

2017:

All Materials

2016:

All Materials

 

Announcements

2025 BEST Annual Report

2025 Annual Forum Materials

2025-2026 PD Calendar

Absenteeism Prevention and Intervention Resources

What’s New in PBIS?

VTPBIS Microlearnings

BEST/VTPBIS State Team Commitment to Equity

Related Opportunities:

Inclusive Skill Building Learning Approach (ISLA) – Starting Spring of 2026

Quick Links:

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