Trent University to Host Symposium to Enhance Self-Regulation Practice in Education
Trent faculty members join renowned international expert Dr. Stuart Shanker as keynote speakers at global conference
Canadian and international experts will join Dr. Stuart Shanker, a renowned expert in self-regulation, and the MEHRIT Centre, an organization dedicated to grounding learning and living in self-regulation, at Trent University from July 18 -22 for the second annual Self-Regulation Summer Symposium, a five-day global event exploring self-regulation, Professor Shanker’s method for understanding stress and alleviating its negative impacts on children and adults.
The symposium, which will feature presentations by several Trent University faculty members, is aimed at educators, parents, and mental health professionals who want to learn more about self-regulation. As a method Prof. Shanker has developed over the course of many years, self-regulation, offers educators and parents a method for dealing with problems in mood, behaviour and learning by understanding and reducing the stress of individual children and reducing systemic stress in school environments or the home.
“When children's stress levels are too high, various systems that help children stay calm and alert, the ideal state for learning, are compromised,” says Prof. Shanker, a university professor, researcher, and child development expert who lives in Northumberland county. He is also the author of two books about self-regulation. Calm, Alert and Learning, published in 2012, is the top-selling Canadian education book ever. His new book, Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life published in June, is already a top-seller on Amazon. Prof. Shanker says that today’s children and youth are dealing with unusually high levels of stress, adding: “If a kid is burning too much energy, dealing with the stress they become withdrawn or impulsive, or have little energy left over to help them do more positive things like pay attention. Through self-regulation, kids learn how to recognize when they are over-stressed, what the stressors are that are causing this to happen, how to reduce their stress-load and return to being calmly focused and alert.”
“Our summer symposium is a chance for self-regulation enthusiasts to come together to learn from experts and each other,” says Susan Hopkins, executive director of The MEHRIT Centre, Prof. Shanker’s organization for self-regulation information, resources, and learning opportunities, which is based at Trent University.
Dr. Brenda Smith-Chant, Trent Psychology professor and director of the Self-Regulation Institute, adds the symposium provides a great opportunity for professionals in the field to build important inter-sectorial relationships.
“Hosting this event at Trent University is key because the goals of the summer symposium are so well aligned with Trent’s priorities: education, creating positive and sustainable communities, and leveraging knowledge to be useful and applicable to real world environments,” she says. “Trent University is also an amazing venue that provides opportunities to integrate learning into a beautiful and engaging natural setting. A partnering between Trent and The MEHRIT Centre helps both organizations to realize common goals.”
Joining Prof. Shanker for the four-day symposium, will be keynote sessions and workshops led by self-regulation practitioners from across Canada including:
- Trent University Psychology professors, Dr. Lisa Nisbet and Dr. Kevin Peters
- Mental health professionals from the Peterborough area and across Canada
- Leading educators that have completed the MEHRIT Centre’s foundations courses in self-regulation
Dr. Hopkins says the summer symposium is one important part of the MEHRIT Centre’s effort to share knowledge about self-regulation, and how it can lessen the negative impacts of stress on child, teachers and families. “Our first symposium last summer was a great event,” says Ms. Hopkins. “This one will be even better.”
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
» For more information about Symposium or email info@self-reg.ca
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Kate Weersink, media relations & strategic communications officer, Trent University, 705-748-1011 extension:6180 or kateweersink@trentu.ca