How to Convince Your District to Send You to the 2024 CharacterStrong National Conference

Want to join in on the fun and excitement of the 2-day 2024 CharacterStrong National Conference in Tacoma, Washington? We don’t blame you! It’s a can’t-miss educational event that will leave you feeling energized, refreshed, and motivated to meet the moment.

Here are 5 points to help prove to your Principal or District Leader why you should attend the 2024 CharacterStrong National Conference:

1) Educational Background

Can we let you in on a secret? We take pride in the fact that many of our CharacterStrong team members come from the work. AKA they have an educational background that’s composed of, but not limited to: former school counselors, principals, teachers, and school psychologists.

• John Norlin - CEO and Co-Founder, CharacterStrong; Former High School Teacher for 10 years, Director of the Whole Child for 5 years, and a Student Leadership State Director sponsored by the Association of Washington School Principals, where he served on staff for 24 years.
• Dr. Clay Cook - Chief Development Officer, CharacterStrong; Former professor and Endowed Chair holder in Child and Adolescent Well-being at the University of Minnesota; school psychologist; and former paraprofessional and middle school math teacher.
• Schlonda Gates - Director of Regional Development, CharacterStrong; 18 years in Education as a 3rd Grade Teacher, Elementary, Middle, and High School Counselor; Office of Student Relations and Director of Social Emotional Learning/Trauma Informed Care/Reengagement.
• Kat Pastor - Executive Director of School Support, CharacterStrong; 2016 ASCA School Counselor of the Year and 20 years of educational experience in secondary and postsecondary education, as a school counselor, leadership teacher, and coach adjunct faculty member.
• Dr. Alisha Hill - Director of School Support, CharacterStrong; 23 years in education as a Director of Social-Emotional Learning, Staff Development Coordinator, Leader and Teacher Effectiveness Coordinator, Director of Programs for Communities in Schools, Literacy Coordinator, Academy Leader, Adjunct Professor, and Teacher.

P.S. Special guest speaker, Principal Baruti Kafele will be in attendance! Highly regarded as an urban educator in New Jersey for more than 20 years, Kafele has distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader.

2) Traveling to Tacoma can be a Team Affair

Here at CharacterStrong, we believe it’s all about relationships. In order to effectively lead and teach with connection, belonging, and well-being at the forefront of our actions, we must first focus on adult work. “When it comes to school culture change, we are first and foremost in the business of adult behavior change,” expressed Dr. Clay Cook, Chief Development Officer at CharacterStrong. So why not get a group together from your school or district and make the trek together?

Plus, we offer a group discount rate - and who doesn’t love a discount?!

3) Do We Need to Use the CharacterStrong Curriculum?

You don’t have to currently have our CharacterStrong curriculum in order to attend the CharacterStrong National Conference.

Whether you are in your first year of education or a long-time veteran, you will be reminded of your purpose for this work and be connected to other educators to give you the boost you need to do this work with passion. Learn our signature Adult Relationship S.E.R.V.E Model that helps equip educators with tools to implement school-wide culture-building practices as well as evidence-based individual habits that will improve the overall climate of your classroom and school.

4) Check Off Your Professional Development Goals

With a long background in experiential education and evidence-based practices, enjoy a conference that will have you laughing, thinking, building meaningful connections, and walking away with low-burden, high-impact tools that you can implement immediately into your daily practice.

This conference also provides an opportunity to see a showcase of the Professional Development (with a 9.4/10 Training rating) available to schools and district staff.

5) Ask for Approval to Attend

If you’re close with your Principal or District Administrator, you could ask their permission to attend the CharacterStrong National Conference in-person or via a video call. Feel free to share this testimonial video with them too for a glimpse into the conference!

But if you’re someone who likes to have things written out, we’ve taken the initiative of drafting up a letter prompt to help you ask for formal approval to join us in Tacoma! We hope to see you there!

Download the letter prompt here