WORKSHOPS

The Happy Place:
Workshop Series Developed by Donald O’Conner

About the Presenter
Donald O’Conner is an accomplished musician, songwriter, music instructor, and stage performer/director from Memphis, TN. His credits include projects with artists such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Chaka Khan, the O’Jays and Marvin Gaye. While O’Conner has amassed an impressive catalogue of work in the entertainment industry, he considers his more than 30 years of service as Founder and Director of the WatotoAcademy of the Performing Arts for Youth to be his greatest accomplishment.

In today’s academic and social climate, it is important that youth facilitator’s develop their own methods of successfully helping today’s young people reach their fullest potential. Through his workshop series,“The Happy Place,” O’Conner shares his experiences, passion, and innovative youth development techniques that have led to improving student academic achievement, socio emotional development, and parental and community involvement.

For more information about the presenter and the WatotoAcademy of the Performing Arts visit www.watotoacademy.org.

The Guest List: Who is The Happy Place Workshop Experience For?

The Happy Place workshop experience welcomes leaders, facilitators, and instructors from across the globe who are working in settings that serve children and adolescents. This includes:

• new first time instructors/youth facilitators assigned to an underserved, primarily African American youth population;

• those looking to develop a fun, exciting yet rigorous and relevant format for youth development and engagement; and

• seasoned instructors/youth facilitators in search of new innovative methods of having a positive impact on the youth they serve without compromising their standards and high expectations.

The Gift: What Will Attendees Walk Away With?
Workshop participants will be introduced to strategies that integrate the arts, humanities, and history into the student’s learning experience. These strategies, developed by O’Conner, have led to improved math and reading scores, as well as improved behavior.

Areas of focus will include:

• improved classroom management

• student engagement

• parental/family engagement

• student leadership development and training

• improved understanding of the demographics, culture and community

• improved understanding of the primary goals and purpose of education

• improved understanding of the total roles as instructors and youth facilitators

Workshop participants will be inspired and motivated, while having their creativity enhanced and having their understanding of how to develop underserved youth broadened. Participants will be introduced to methods of involving parents and the community in their efforts. Finally, participants will have their passion for teaching rejuvenated, as they are led to develop their own unique instructional and training methods based on their unique personal skills.