The Holmes Center for School Partnerships and Educator Preparation provides professional development and partnership opportunities for educators and school districts in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and North Country. Our goal is to support current and future educators throughout New Hampshire.
The Holmes Center offers on-site graduate courses, coaching, conferences and educator suppor for school districts. In addition, there are professional development opportunities for educators at Plymouth State during the Fall and Spring semesters. We will work with your school or district to design customized professional learning activities. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email psu-holmescenter@plymouth.edu or call 535-2220.
Upcoming Workshops
Cyanotype Print Workshop
Date: February 7, 2025
Time: 10am - 3:00pm
Cost: Free, Lunch Provided
Location: Plymouth State University, D & M 301
Presented by Kimberly Ritchie
Spend the day at Plymouth State University's Draper & Maynard building where the Art Studios are located. Artist and Professor Kimberly Ritchie will teach various cyanotype methods. Cyanotype is a direct photography and printmaking process where UV emulsion is applied to paper and exposed to sunlight (or UV light), creating a cyano blue image. Lots of materials and methods to create a cyanotype will be explored. This is a hands-on workshop, come prepared to create artwork!
More of Ritchie’s artwork and cyanotypes can be viewed on her website at www.kimberlyandersonritchie.com
All materials will be provided.
Strategies for Supporting Technology Self-Regulation in Schools
Date: March 25, 2025
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Rachele Hartley
Description
Technology is taking over so much of our lives, for good and bad. Adults and our students alike are struggling to find a balance for managing it. In this session, research on technology use and its impact will be briefly discussed, followed by discussion of practical strategies that can be implemented in schools or at home.
Objectives:
- Overview of how technology has changed us and our youth
- How can support youth in developing self-regulation regarding technology use
- Strategies we can implement in classroom or at home
Bright Spots in English and Social Studies Education
Date: April 4, 2025
Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University, Centre Lodge
Presented by Kenneth Logan and Kelsie Eckert
Please join middle and high school English and Social Studies teachers for conversations about bright spots in teaching. What's working well in your classroom? What are practices, assignments, or routines that are worth sharing? This is a small, informal conference. Our aim is to give teachers time to talk with one another, ask questions, and get excited to try something new. Lunch will be provided. Return attendees, please note the new location.
Integrating Current Events in the World Language Classroom
Date: April 11, 2025
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Wilson García
This workshop will review strategies for integrating current events into the world language classroom. Current events expand vocabulary and reinforce grammar structures. Additionally, they promote global awareness and critical thinking by connecting students with real-life situations in the target communities. The workshop will be conducted in English, with examples provided in multiple languages.
A world leader in history and civics education, National History Day® is a nonprofit education organization improving the teaching and learning of history.
Teachers hoping to do NHDNH during the upcoming school year should attend professional development opportunities offered to teachers by the State Coordinators. Head over to our Eventbrite page to see all upcoming events and register.
Mental Health Crisis Interventions: Responding to an Acute Traumatic Stressor in Schools
Date: October 16-17
Time: 9:00am - 4:300pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Chris Stoddard & Kate Murphy
The NASP PREPaRE curriculum provides relevant school personnel with comprehensive training on how to establish and serve on school safety and crisis response teams. Please use the following link to view registration and workshop information.
Media Literacy Symposium
Date: October 18
Time: 8:30am - 3:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Spend this beautiful fall day on campus in Plymouth with Dr. Pam Harland and the Library Media and Digital Learning Specialist faculty while we host Mike Caulfield, the creator of the SIFT framework and author of Verified, as our keynote. The symposium will include lunch and presentations from school librarians around the state.
Get ready to unleash the power of media and information literacy and empower our K-12 students to:
- Navigate the digital world with confidence and competence;
- Become discerning consumers of information, immune to manipulation and bias;
- Embrace a lifelong love of learning, fueled by the ability to evaluate and synthesize information effectively.
We Have Technology! Now What Do We Do With It?
Date: October 23
Time: 4:00 - 5:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Stacey Curdie
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is an excellent lens for examining technology use in the classroom. This webinar will explore the ideas of social, cognitive, and teaching presence and how each contributes in creating dynamic and collaborative learning environments. We’ll examine how these concepts can be applied in choosing the appropriate technology for our classrooms.
Bright Spots in English and Social Studies Education
Date: November 1
Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Kenneth Logan and Kelsie Eckert
Please join middle and high school English and Social Studies teachers for conversations about bright spots in teaching. What's working well in your classroom? What are practices, assignments, or routines that are worth sharing? This is a small, informal conference. Our aim is to give teachers time to talk with one another, ask questions, and get excited to try something new. Lunch will be provided.
Book Arts: Student Engagement through Paper Engineering
Date: November 15
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University, D & M 312
Presented by Erin Sweeney
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Spend the day at Plymouth State’s beautiful art building, Draper & Maynard, with Erin Sweeney making several book structures (both folded and sewn) that can be utilized in a thousand ways in your classrooms. We will look at many book models, make several cool structures, and discuss ways that these books can be utilized as pre- and post-assessments, social emotional learning gauges, and as final projects that reflect student learning in new and fun ways.
All materials and tools will be supplied.
Lunch will be provided.
Professional Development certificates will be provided.
K-12 Partnerships
“The collaboration between Franklin public schools and Plymouth State University is a win-win for teachers and students at Franklin and for the faculty and student interns from PSU. By investing in a master’s degree course that is offered at no cost to our teachers, and the addition of PSU’s in-classroom faculty support, we hope to strengthen educator skills and limit turnover while improving the educational experience for teachers and students alike."
- Daniel LeGallo, School Administrative Unit 18 Superintendent
