Breakout Sessions

Here is a partial list of the breakout sessions of the first-ever International Strengths Conference. Sessions are added as speakers are confirmed, so check here for updates.

Teaching Your Staff How to Implement Strengths Into the First-Year Experience
Sondra Cave, Director of Freshman Seminar
MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe, Kansas, USA

Are you responsible for training your staff to implement strengths-based development in your first-year program? Are you looking for suggestions and ideas? This session will provide you with new things to consider and a suggested training-day format. You will also discuss the importance of making the strengths content manageable for the faculty and staff members who will implement and teach strengths.

Applying a Strengths Approach to Student Development: A Pilot Project
Shelley Carter-Rose, Associate Vice President Student Success, and Judy Williams, Project Coordinator – Strengths Development Student Pilot
Nova Scotia Community College, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is undertaking an exciting student strengths project. NSCC has a comprehensive disability services delivery model, which has evolved over the past 10 years and become noted as one of the best systems in Canada. Approximately 10% of the student population at NSCC are students who have disclosed having a disability. NSSC has designed a creative pilot project that works with students with and without disabilities using a strengths-based approach .

StengthsQuest and Woo -- Especially if New!
M.L. "Cissy" Petty, Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost
Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Dr. Cissy Petty will discuss the challenges and opportunities of introducing and adopting StrengthsQuest as integral part of the Student Affairs cocurricular mission. She will facilitate an exchange of ideas for newcomers to StrengthsQuest. She also will share the applicability of StrengthsQuest and values education in the work of Student Affairs.

Growing Your Own Leaders With Their Strengths
Jayne Peaslee, Director of Professional Development
Corning Community College, Corning, New York, USA

Have you ever considered “growing your own leaders” at your college? Corning Community College (CCC) is dedicated to developing potential leaders by fostering employees’ abilities and empowering them to meet the college’s future challenges while maintaining CCC tradition and core values. Learn how CCC developed a nine-month leadership program using StrengthsQuest that provides participants with a wider vision of the college ‘s governance structure, budgeting cycle, strategic planning, Board of Trustee’s responsibilities, and goal planning.

Teaching Strengths Through Group Activities and Interaction
Presenter: Sondra Cave, Professor, Director of Freshman Seminar
MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe, Kansas, USA

Do you want to enhance your teaching -- and student learning -- about strengths? Would you like to learn how to integrate interactive group activities in this process? This interactive, hands-on session is designed to show you how to implement group activities and interaction in the classroom or in a training session. You also will increase your understanding of each of the 34 themes of talent. This session is especially for new StrengthsQuest users.

Expanding StrengthsQuest on Your Campus: Building Your Program and Managing Codes
Irene Burklund, Director of Client Services, Education Practice
Gallup, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Are you excited about bringing StrengthsQuest to your campus? Are you looking for ways to expand your program and get more faculty, staff, and students involved? Join us to share best practices in starting and expanding a StrengthsQuest program on your campus. We’ll talk about managing codes, discuss who to get involved, explore the resources that are available, and show you how start and build a program that provides a full strengths experience.

Implementing Strengths in Staff Development and Performance Management
Sondra Cave, Director of Freshman Seminar
MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe, Kansas, USA

This presentation will provide participants with examples and processes they can use to implement strengths into staff development and performance management. Topics will include the timeline and process of implementation, sample sessions and activities used in staff development sessions, and examples of manager comments about what strengths has done for their departments.

Strengths as Part of an Overall College Strategy
Don Bureaux, Vice President, People and Planning
Nova Scotia Community College, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Learning is at the core of what we do at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). As a Portfolio Learning College, we are committed to continuously reflecting on our journey and our learning. Further integrating strengths into the fabric of our culture is a key means of achieving our ends with respect to our strategic directions. In this session, we will share the strategy and context in which we’re advancing portfolio learning through strengths.

The Rigor of Strengths Research
Shane Lopez, Senior Scientist in Residence
Gallup, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Dr. Lopez will review the reliability and validity of the Clifton StrengthsFinder and discuss its appropriate uses in educational settings. He will present the latest research evaluating strengths-based education. He also will share a primer on starting research on your campus and highlight online resources for strengths researchers .

Strengths-based Leadership in Practice: The value of a strengths-based approach to team effectiveness
Mark Pogue, Vice President, Education Practice
Gallup, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

One of the most important components of implementing a successful strengths effort on a campus is the need for leaders to model the value of strengths development at an executive level. Yet this crucial element is often overlooked. In this session, you’ll learn from experienced leaders about the value of a strengths-based approach to team effectiveness. You’ll also learn how it can help the organization reach its goals while providing a template for your campus.