
Welcome to the 2024 Executive Function Essentials training series. This year’s sessions will focus on how to use executive function to empower students, addressing both academic and social emotional learning needs. Come and learn with us!
Sessions will be hosted live at the times listed below and offered as a recording, which will be posted shortly after the sessions conclude. All recordings and materials will be available until May 1, 2024.

2024 Executive Function Essentials Toolkit Bundle
Looking for a deep dive into all things executive function? Join us for the full EF Essentials Toolkit for comprehensive executive function training. This package includes the following sessions at a special price!
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- Igniting Success and Reducing Stress: Promoting Self-Understanding and Executive Function in the Classroom – February 8, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST
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- Project-Based Learning and Executive Function – February 13, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST
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- Executive Function and AI – February 29, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST
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- Procrastination, Focus, and Distraction – March 5, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST

EF Essentials Session 1: Igniting Success and Reducing Stress: Promoting Self-Understanding and Executive Function in the Classroom
Why do students feel so overwhelmed and stressed in school? How can we teach executive function (EF) strategies and promote social-emotional learning (SEL) to reduce stress and to increase student engagement?
This presentation will focus on approaches educators can use to promote metacognitive awareness, executive function and social-emotional learning for every student. Throughout, attendees will learn practical strategies for understanding students’ metacognitive awareness and for teaching goal-setting, flexible problem-solving, organizing, prioritizing, and self-monitoring strategies as part of the classroom curriculum.
Presented by: Lynn Meltzer, Ph.D.
Date/time: February 8, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST

EF Essentials Session 2: Project-Based Learning and Executive Function
How does having a strong foundation of executive function strategies facilitate successful project-based learning for students? Why do students struggle with the process of project-based learning? In this session, attendees will learn why executive function is essential for successful PBL, and how to integrate instructional moves that strengthen EF strategies.
Presented by: Jessica Chiusolo, M.Ed. & Laurel Black, Ed. M.
Date/time: February 13, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST

EF Essentials Session 3: Executive Function and AI
Is AI an existential threat to education, or is it a powerful tool for individualized instruction? And what are the ramifications for students’ EF strategy use? In this session, attendees will learn the what, why, and how of understanding the impact of AI and how to leverage AI to protect and promote executive function strategy use.
Presented by: Michael Greschler, M.Ed. and Elizabeth Ross, M.A.
Date/time: February 29, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST

EF Essentials Session 4: Procrastination, Focus, and Distraction
How do we help students overcome procrastination and distraction and use executive function strategies to stay focused? This workshop will teach educators, and coaches how to help students develop effective executive function strategies, stay motivated, and reduce procrastination.
Presented by: Shelly Levy, M.Ed., M.A. and Joan Steinberg, M.Ed.
Date/time: March 5, 2024, 3:30-5:30 P.M. EST
*This workshop is for current license holders only. You must be the educator assigned to the license in order to attend.*
As you prepare for the year ahead, it’s a great time to dig deeper into the SMARTS Executive Function Curriculum at this year’s Summer Workshop. Learn with peers from across the country. Led by experienced members of the SMARTS team, attendees will get hands-on experience with popular strategies and will spend time learning how to adapt and modify SMARTS to meet the unique needs of their students.
This year’s summer workshop will be held online via Zoom or recorded sessions for a total of 10 hours of training. In both large group sessions and grade-level breakouts, we will explore the importance of executive function strategy instruction.
By the end of this training series, attendees will have a thorough knowledge of SMARTS and will be prepared to implement a customized approach for any educational setting.
This training series consists of 6 full session. Two sessions are available recorded, and four will be held live with recordings available afterwards. That’s a total of 10 hours of training! Attend live and watch the recordings, with access through December 31, 2023.
Pre-recorded sessions:
- Getting to Know SMARTS
- Measuring Student Success with the MetaCOG Surveys & Toolkit
Live sessions (with recordings available afterwards):
- Session 1: Best Practices for Executive Function (Aug 8, 11-1 EDT)
- Session 2: Organizing Time and Materials (Aug 10, 11-1 EDT)
- Session 3: EF and Challenging Academics: Reading, writing and remembering (Aug 15, 11-1 EDT)
- Session 4: Self-understanding and SEL (Aug 17, 11-1 EDT)
Cost: $325 per educator. Please note, attendees must have an active SMARTS license.
*Add a new SMARTS subscription for your school or district and receive $50 off the workshop price!
Interested in bulk pricing? Reach out to us for discount information.
Questions? Contact Lorissa Gomez, SMARTS Operations Coordinator, [email protected]