This cohort is for districts who are participating in the Career Consultant program. District identified career committees will attend to engage in professional learning, collaboration, and program planning. Development of career pathways is based on the nationally recognized Redefining Ready metrics and professional learning will include outside expertise and exemplars to guide district teams in design. Cohort sessions may take place at Sourcewell or another location dependent on content of the session.

Join a dynamic community of forward-thinking educators committed to transforming student learning. Discover innovative teaching practices from our region, explore how they can be adopted to any grade level or subject, and connect with local teachers to exchange ideas, strategies, and inspiration. Together, we can elevate engagement and enrich the classroom experience for all students.

Topics include:

• Sharing innovative ideas


• Inquiry-based learning


• Creative problem solving through design thinking


• Experiential learning from the natural world


• Independent research projects


• Technology supporting innovation


• Sharing in success and iterations towards success when trying something new

This tabletop exercise prepares participants to respond effectively to an active violence incident and the subsequent reunification process. Through realistic scenarios and guided discussions, attendees will examine the roles, responsibilities, and coordination among various agencies. Emphasis will be placed on communication, decision-making, and maintaining safety throughout both phases. The exercise promotes collaboration and identifies areas for improvement in emergency response and reunification protocols.

In the class paraeducators explore communication strategies that make the biggest difference for educators who work with some of our most fragile and misunderstood students.

This short course looks at how first responders interact with special education students during times of crisis, including tactical operations, evacuation, and other aspects of first responder activities. 

Topics include:

-The fourteen categories of disabilities

-Building relationships with Student Support Teams

-Basic reunification for unique learners

-Planning drills, with modifications or adjustments

The Minnesota Service Cooperatives have collaborated to bring you a virtual, asynchronous option to meeting your Cultural Competency licensure requirement. This course provides video learning, personal reflection time, an opportunity to hear from educators in the field, and many additional resources to explore as you continue your journey to be an even more culturally competent educator.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is transitioning to Ed-Fi for required SIS data submissions. Ed-Fi enables real-time, secure data exchange between systems, representing a significant modernization in how student data is collected, integrated, and used across the state. This shift will directly impact MARSS coordinators' workflows. To ensure your district is well-positioned for success, Sourcewell is hosting a virtual Region 5 Ed-Fi informational session specifically for MARSS coordinators. This session is designed to give coordinators a clear understanding of the support available, and the practical impact Ed-Fi will have on their work.

This workshop is designed for both AVID elective teachers and content area teachers, K-12, to explore strategies that support rigor and student success. Participants will engage in common content focused on Strategic Lesson Design with WICOR, emphasizing how writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading can enhance instructional practices across grade levels and disciplines. Breakout sessions will provide differentiated content tailored to specific roles, with AVID elective teachers diving into strategies to enhance AVID tutorials and content area teachers focusing on fostering student engagement and voice in their classrooms. Guided application and planning time will allow participants to immediately integrate learned strategies into their curriculum and lesson plans. Join us for a hands-on, collaborative experience that will empower you to elevate student achievement and engagement in your role!

Participants must be a Region 5 AVID school.

This on-demand course will define formative assessment and explore the benefits of utilization. Participants will learn about various formative assessment techniques for both virtual and in-person learning, and will leave the session ready to implement and achieve some formative assessment quick wins.

Using formative assessments regularly and consistently can give both educators and learners an even clearer picture around what learners know. Formative assessments also provide educators with a guide to developing learning experiences and lesson planning that can meet the needs of all learners. By using formative assessments with purpose, educators can maximize student learning and increase the effectiveness of their lesson design and delivery.

This on-demand course will define formative assessment and explore the benefits of utilization. Participants will learn about various formative assessment techniques for both virtual and in-person learning, and will leave the session ready to implement and achieve some formative assessment quick wins.

Using formative assessments regularly and consistently can give both educators and learners an even clearer picture around what learners know. Formative assessments also provide educators with a guide to developing learning experiences and lesson planning that can meet the needs of all learners. By using formative assessments with purpose, educators can maximize student learning and increase the effectiveness of their lesson design and delivery.

The Foundational Skills (for short-call subs): Learn the most impactful strategies to successfully engage students while also helping the adults save their energy. Based on the ongoing applied research in over 50,000 classrooms and school settings, The Catalyst Approach is committed to finding relevant and practical solutions to the most common school challenges. This course introduces the roots of The Catalyst Approach and the 12 Foundational Skills to help every adult working with students know where to focus their efforts. Hopefully you’ll finish the course with a renewed sense of hope, joy, and confidence in your work.

The Foundational Skills (for student teachers): Learn the most impactful strategies to successfully engage students while also helping the adults save their energy. Based on the ongoing applied research in over 50,000 classrooms and school settings, The Catalyst Approach is committed to finding relevant and practical solutions to the most common school challenges. This course introduces the roots of The Catalyst Approach and the 12 Foundational Skills to help every adult working with students know where to focus their efforts. Hopefully you’ll finish the course with a renewed sense of hope, joy, and confidence in your work.

Quick Start to Coaching Adult Learners (for those mentoring teachers): Gain insights about the important role of mentoring adult learners. Whether you’re working with a student teacher, a new colleague, or a school leader who supports ongoing professional development for teachers, the strategies in this brief learning experience will sharpen your mentoring skills. Even if you have previous experience in this kind of role, you’ll get to reflect and refine your skills to gain confidence and make your work even more effective!

This course is designed to equip new paraprofessionals with essential skills and knowledge for effective work in educational settings. Participants will explore foundational topics, including an Introduction to Special Education, which covers 13 disability categories, and the impact of implicit bias in the classroom. The course also emphasizes the importance of leading in the classroom and understanding the paraprofessional role. Additionally, learners will gain insights into how the brain responds to stress and the concept that behavior is communication. This comprehensive approach ensures that paraprofessionals are well-prepared to support diverse learners effectively.

Participants will explore foundational topics, including an Introduction to Child Development, which covers physical and cognitive development as well as developmental delays. You will also watch an interview with Shana Larson, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator and Heidi Hahn, Sourcewell Special Education Partner. The course also emphasizes that behavior is a form of communication and what to expect. Additionally, learners will gain insights into de-escalation, dysregulation, and how to support students. This comprehensive approach ensures that paraprofessionals are well-prepared to support diverse learners effectively.

This workshop is designed to empower school leaders to drive impactful AVID implementation from their unique roles, whether as teachers, site coordinators, principals, or district administrators. Participants will explore strategies to align AVID practices with their school’s college and career readiness goals. Through engaging discussions and activities, attendees will learn how to leverage their leadership to create sustainable systems that support AVID’s mission. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with actionable strategies and a leadership plan tailored to their role, ensuring continuous improvement and meaningful outcomes for their AVID programs. 

Important Note: This workshop is designed for school/district teams that include at least one administrative representative, ideally the principal.

This webinar will identify elements of differentiation and explore differentiation strategies such as questioning, grouping, and choice. Use these strategies to meet both support and challenge needs of your diverse students.

Led by a mental health professional and educator, this webinar will cover key facts about children's mental health, early warning signs of mental health disorders, and signs and symptoms of childhood suicide. Discussion will include strategies for how to respond and how to access help for students.

This training focuses on why and how our body and brain respond to stress/crisis and how that affects our work, wellness, and interactions. Explore Social-Emotional Learning strategies to recognize dysregulation in yourself and others, as well as strategies to regain and retain regulation. These strategies apply to interactions with students, colleagues, and caregivers.

Multilingual learners in our classrooms are a huge asset. Not every educator may feel confident in how to best support and include these students. This webinar offers insights to support educators in creating optimal learning environments and instructional strategies for each learner.

Explore components of effective reading instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation and engagement. Within each component, participants will learn what it is, why we teach it, and how we teach it.

Join this on-demand training opportunity to access a wide variety of online courses designed to provide paraprofessionals the targeted training needed to succeed as a Title I paraprofessional, including strategies that can be applied immediately.

The training includes access to over 150 courses and can be used for professional development or certification. Access to the content will be available for one year from your registration date. If you are using this training for certification, you must complete PARA Assessment 1 and PARA Assessment 2. The assessments must be proctored. Please be aware that this is an on-demand training and any preparations for the assessments are up to the individual to complete online.

Sourcewell will not be hosting proctoring sessions at this time, please see this FAQ document for more information.

School leaders will come together three times throughout the year to share a meal, network with one another on topics of interest to them, and learn up to date information on key leadership topics.

Language is ever evolving and changing. Sometimes knowing which terms or descriptions to use can be difficult and sometimes we don’t even know we are using outdated or harmful language. This webinar is focused on promoting positive language around topics such as race, gender, and common school-based labels and language.

The Regional Literacy Network is excited to announce the Secondary Literacy Workshop Series, “We have the data, now what?” The Secondary Literacy Workshop Series will provide support and guidance for initial tiered response to READ Act literacy screening data and planning forward for systemwide literacy anchored in evidence-based practices and MnMTSS structures.

Workshop subjects:

• Workshop #1: Using your screening data to make adjustments to Tier 1 Instruction. 


• Workshop #2: Using your screening data to make adjustments to Tier 2 and 3 instruction. 


• Workshop #3: Using your screening data to design or redesign your system support.

Sourcewell hosted the Special Education Licensure Via Portfolio Kick-Off with PELSB staff on Oct. 7, 2025. The participants made the request to have multiple full day supports to work with Sourcewell staff and each other as they navigate the competencies in their Core Skills and Licensure Portfolios. The Special Education support team at Sourcewell has identified five full days to provide on-site support for the participants in this cohort.

The Special Education New Teacher Academy is designed to increase confidence and capacity in novice educators by combining relevant training with growth-focused coaching support. These sessions will have collaborative interaction the morning with general educations participants and have specific special education content in the afternoon. Support throughout the year includes six full-day trainings at Sourcewell, four individual in-classroom coaching sessions, Catalyst Whole Group Leadership, and Catalyst Live.