Circle of Courage Workshops:
Building Caring Communities & Classrooms and Courage for the Discouraged
Featuring: Dr. Steve Van Bockern
Steve Van Bockern is professor of Education at Augustana College and Dean of the Reclaiming Youth Institute which conducts research on strength–based prevention and intervention. Drawing on experience as a public school principal and teacher at the elementary and secondary levels, Dr. Van Bockern consults with numerous schools and alternative education programs throughout North America.
He has directed grants for the National Science Foundation and the Kellogg Foundation and has developed programs for talented students. Dr. Van Bockern serves as a codirector for the Black Hills Seminars and is a senior trainer for the Life Space Crisis Intervention Institute of Hagerstown, Maryland.
The Circle of Courage
The Circle of Courage is a widely acclaimed model of positive youth development first described in the book, Reclaiming Youth at Risk, co–authored by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern.
The model integrates Native American philosophies of child–rearing, the heritage of early pioneers in education and youth work, and contemporary resilience research.
The Circle of Courage is based on four universal growth needs of all children: belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.
Text and logo used with permission from Circle of Courage, Inc., artist: George Blue Bird.