I thought I’d drop a few lines just to update how my Anika Foundation Premier’s Teacher Scholarship Study Tour is shaping up… I’ve been busy as in the last few weeks, budgeting, booking flights, hotels and making appointments, but I can tell already all the hard work is going to be worth it!

I’ll be leaving mid-November and below are just some of the people I will be meeting and/or working with… it promises to be a fantastic few weeks!

Jenny Fox Eades – Author of the Celebrating Strengths Program – I’ll be visiting schools with Jenny to see first hand how her programs are implemented and what she thinks of the way in which they are being implemented

Dr Jane Gillham – Co author of the Penn Resilency Project and The Optimistic Child amongst other work – I’ll be meeting with Jane to discuss some aspects of my work, as well as getting the latest study findings from her work.

Sir Ken Robinson – Leading speaker regarding creativity and educational reform – I’ll be attending an address by Sir Ken, and then taking part in a Q&A session where I’ll be establishing how aspects of creativity should/could be implemented in education.

Tayyab Rashid – Colleague of Martin Seligman now on the Toronto District School Board and reponsible for Positive Education in Toronto, Canada – I shall be visiting a number of schools in Toronto to see their programs in action, as well as discussing some aspects of my work.

Dr Howard Cutler – Co-author with the Dalai Lama in the Art of Happiness series.  – He is working on their forthcoming “Art of Happiness in Education” project.

Ian Morris, Head of Wellbeing at Wellington College, UK where Dr Anthony Seldon  is the Headmaster. I’ll be looking into their acclaimed “Wellness Curriculum”

John Yeager – Chair or Wellness Education at Culver Academies, US – I’ll be discussing my work with John as well as seeing how his input will further develop the programs I am writing. He comes highly recommended by many of the top researchers in the field of Positive Psychology.

Tessa Kratz – Director of Operations , KIPP Schools New York College Prep. – I’ll be looking at and see first hand how KIPP incorporate aspects of Positive Psych with kids from the poorest areas of NYC in order to gain great acheivements.

Dominic Randolph – Headmaster of Riverdale School in New York. Like John Yeager, every Positive Psychology expert I spoke to said I have to see this man!

With various school visits scheduled, and other expert educators still to be confirmed this is shaping up to be a very busy and informative few weeks!

I’ll be posting weekly updates during November and December on what’s been doing… stay tuned!