Essentials of Developmental Relationships TOT for ESCs
Essentials of Developmental Relelationships
This is a training-of-trainers program aimed to create relational capacity across schools and youth-serving organizations. Through the partnership, ESCs will: Catalyze effective use of Developmental Relationships across the organization; Build capacity and align staff with common language and relationship-building practices to strengthen developmental relationships; and Equip facilitators with skills, knowledge and tools to deliver two Search Institute learning experiences aimed to support student thriving through Developmental Relationships.
About the TOT Opportunity
NOTE: This Training of Trainers program is open only to Education Service Center (ESC) personnel.
⭐IN-PERSON ONLY⭐
Questions/Technical Support: Contact us at t4si@esc14.net.
📋Training Details
- Download the Event Flyer (PDF)
- Training Cohort: Limited to 20 participants
🗓️Training Phases
No registration fee. Associated travel costs would be covered by ESC participants.
PHASE ONE
- Virtual Kick-Off Session (required)
- Date: April 16, 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CST
REGISTER *updated 3.11.26
*Register through Region 14 ESC’s Pitstop.
Request a Pitstop Account | Pitstop Instruction Guide
- Asynchronous Virtual Learning Experience (required): Developmental Relationships: The Roots of Youth Thriving (1-hr)
PHASE TWO
- In-Person Training (required)
- Dates: April 30-May 1, 2026
- Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST daily (subject to change)
- Location: Eastland Room, Region 14 ESC North, 1850 Hwy 351, Abilene, TX 79601
- Facility Maps
*Register through Region 14 ESC’s Pitstop.
Request a Pitstop Account | Pitstop Instruction Guide
Training Schedule – COMING SOON
PHASE THREE
- Workshop Delivery (3-6 Hours): Deliver one of the two workshops at least once in the next three months (by end of July) to ESC staff for ease of scheduling.
- Two Virtual Group Coaching Sessions (1 Hour Each): To be scheduled.
🏨Courtesy Hotel Block
- Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Downtown Convention Center
- Address: 500 Cypress St, Abilene, TX 79601
- Rate: $110.00/night
- Last Day to Book: April 8, 2026
- Rate available for April 29, 2026 through May 3, 2026.
- Parking: Valet – $25 per vehicle per night; Self-parking per vehicle per night
- Group Name: Title IV State Initiative
- Booking Link
Phase 1: Setting the Stage
- Virtual Kick-Off (1 Hour): A shared virtual experience on Zoom to introduce the “relational spirit” of the program, outline the basics of what to expect for the in-person experience, discusses logistics, and provide opportunity for personal storytelling about our shared mission for helping all young people thrive.
- Developmental Relationships: The Roots of Youth Thriving (1 Hour): An engaging, asynchronous learning experience introducing Search Institute’s approach to developmental relationships provides an opportunity for self-reflection and framework experimentation.
Phase 2: Training-of-Trainers
- In-Person Event (2 Days): Trainers in training will experience two workshops on developmental relationships, which they will be prepared to lead following this event: (1) It Takes Each of Us: Cultivating Developmental Relationships; (2) It Takes All of Us: Building Relationships Together.
- Throughout the training-of trainers, participants will learn additional training and communication strategies for effective delivery as well as develop plans to contextualize and deliver the workshops to staff within their own organizations.
Phase 3: Practice and Feedback
- Workshop Delivery (3-6 Hours): After participants complete the Training-of-Trainers In-Person Event, they will be expected to deliver one of the two workshops at least once in the next three months. After delivery, all attendees (including participant and workshop attendees) will provide feedback through surveys provided by Search Institute.
- Two Group Coaching Sessions (1 Hour Each): Search Institute staff will gather all feedback to design two group coaching sessions to address the unique questions, challenges, and improvement opportunities as participants deliver workshops. Participants will leave with the next steps to deliver the two workshops in their regions.
Certificate of Completion
- Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion after attending the two virtual Group Coaching Sessions.
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Training Prerequisites
Applicants who wish to be considered for this TOT opportunity must:
- actively employed ESC staff members.
- have experience training others.
- have a minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in positive youth development (PYD). – preferred
- have a minimum of two (2) years of experience training
professionals in positive youth development. – preferred - exhibit strong communication, facilitation, teaching, and interpersonal skills.
- reserve all scheduled training dates listed above.
Outcome
Trainer may deliver the following workshops (titles may change) on behalf of their ESC after participating in the TOT n-Person Event:
- Developmental Relationships: The Roots of Thriving
- It Takes Each of Us: Cultivating Developmental Relationships
- It Takes All of Us: Cultivating a Relationship-Rich Organization
The ability to train on Search Institute material is only granted when working as an ESC staff member and is not available for private training use.
Please note: You must attend and participate in all components of the program to receive your training certificate. Submission of individual training data to the Title IV, Part A Capacity Building Initiative and/or Search Institute will be required of participants.
Post Training Expectations
Trained ESC Staff are expected to provide training (alone or with another trained ESC staff member) to the districts in the ESC region at least two times a year: fall, spring, and/or summer. Following any offered trainings, ESCs will report the number of districts and attendee count present at each training to the T4PA CBI through the submission form, and maintain a list of the workshop participants in accordance with your ESC workshop record practices.
Additionally, ESC trainers will collect feedback from participants at the end of every workshop using the Participant Feedback Form via an online link that is provided by Search Institute.
Within 48 hours after each Workshop delivered, provide feedback on each workshop via the Facilitator Feedback Form through an online link that is provided by Search Institute.
ESCs would only be able to charge districts a reasonable materials fee for training and programs to all school systems per the ESC ESSA Basic Services Initiative Program Guidelines.