Academy Programs

Diversity and Inclusion for Managers:
Addressing Workplace Bias

In today’s companies, workplace culture and values are becoming more and more important to workers.

Being aware of how workplace bias shows up in your company can attract or repel top talent. This session will provide a safe and supportive environment for future leaders/managers to explore common workplace biases and provide solutions so that they can foster an inclusive work culture.

Learning Objectives

1. Exploring common workplace biases
2. Learn tips to mitigate bias in your workplace
3. Create an action plan for your team

This program is ideal for:  all people who want to learn more how to identify workplace bias

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Kim Yarborough has a master’s degree in Business Psychology. She works with men and women who want to learn to lead with confidence. She also works with new managers who are just starting out how to lead. She has over 26 years of experience in the public sector leading and managing employees.

Sponsored by:

What is neuroleadership and what makes it so awesome? By understanding our brains and the way they function, we can learn how to work with our physiology, not fight it. We’ll use neuroscience as a lens through which we can look at ourselves, our direct reports, our co-workers, and our organization to understand what motivates us, inhibits us, and how we can create environments that maximize our brains to help us perform at our best.

This workshop is designed to give you a basic understanding of neuroleadership and how it can be applied to the modern workplace to accomplish today’s most challenging tasks, such as developing effective leaders, enhancing creativity, increasing organizational trust, improving teamwork, understanding and overcoming cognitive biases, deepening employee engagement, and more.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the five social drivers that leaders should be aware of to improve their efficacy and performance as a leader.
2. Gain clarity about how neuroscience can be applied to leadership and organizational development to develop brain-friendly approaches that increase productivity and enhance employee engagement.
3. Develop a feeling of reassurance and peace. In this workshop, people will feel seen. Our brains are hardwired to behave in certain ways and by applying neuroscience to the workplace, we can begin to see our reactions and emotions at work as the result of “normal” brain responses.
4. Explore several practical tools that can be applied right away to work with physiology and not against it. Every single attendee will walk away from the workshop with a few small actions that can make a significant difference.

This program is ideal for:  mid to senior-level managers, HR professionals, and emerging leaders

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $80 non-member. $60 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Shelby Schuh is a leadership consultant and owner of Ideation Coaching and Consulting. Her consulting specialties include neuroleadership, organizational development, executive coaching, and team and group coaching. Shelby’s inspirational and empowering leadership style is rooted in a belief that we are never fully done growing and becoming, personally or professionally. She is passionate about helping others to reach their highest potential and approaches all aspects of work and life with a natural enthusiasm that inspires, energizes, and engages.

In addition to her consulting work, Shelby has over 11 years of experience leading marketing strategy, executive communications, internal branding, and creative direction at organizations spanning the financial, non-profit, and political sectors. In her “spare time” she enjoys spending time with her family, acting in local theatre, and volunteering for various non-profit boards.

Shelby graduated from DePauw University in 2004 with a BA in Creative Writing and minors in Philosophy and Women’s Studies. In 2020, she obtained her graduate certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching through the University of Texas at Dallas and achieved her ACC certification in Executive Coaching. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2021 with an MSLOD (Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development).

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably impacted countless lives and left a mark on our society since its first appearance.

Although the United States is no longer under a national emergency, the long-lasting effects of COVID-19 persist, with current research focusing not only on the physical challenges post-COVID, but also on the trends in mental wellbeing among many individuals. As we learn to adapt to the decline in mental wellbeing during this new ‘normal’, let us use our influence as leaders to be understanding, compassionate, and mindful of individuals from all walks of life. Together, we can empower ourselves as advocates for mental wellbeing and share resources helpful for everyone in need.

Learning Objectives

1. Establish an understanding of trends in mental well-being following the Covid-19 pandemic
2. Learn the importance of being mindful of mental well-being in others and yourself as a leader
3. Learn about the many resources available and useful for those who need help with their mental well-being

This program is ideal for:  everyone!

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Alicia Van Duyn is a Muncie local and a senior at Ball State University studying psychology with a minor in neuroscience. She was a graduate of Muncie Central in 2022, earning both her high school diploma and her associate degree from Ivy Tech through the high school’s dual credit program, transferring 63 college credits to Ball State. At the university, she has worked in different labs within the psychological science department, including Dr. Nardi’s Space and Time lab and Dr. Luttrell’s Attitude and Behavior lab, and has served as a teaching assistant for Prof. Mathieu-Frasier’s cognitive psychology class.

She first learned about Shafer Leadership Academy during her freshman year at Muncie Central High School as a student in the first group to go through The Muncie Youth Leadership Program in 2018-2019. Since then, she has worked to empower and lead others her age in and outside of the classroom, and she took up an internship for Shafer Leadership Academy this past summer. She has a passion for psychology and mental health with plans to someday earn her doctorate in clinical psychology, and a passion for social activism.

Virtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Tuesday, December 19
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Wednesday, December 20
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

The only thing you have control over in your career is YOU. Everything you say and do tells people who you are and the value you bring. Does your resume tell your story? What do people think when they read your LinkedIn profile? Learn important steps you can make today to ensure a consistent brand message and story.

Learning Objectives

1. Review opportunities to tell a story, verbal and non-verbal.
2. Creating a brand message to help you stand out from the competition.
3. Provide examples of how others told their story.

This program is ideal for:  anyone

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Susan Caplan is a professional development and communication specialist with a Bachelor of Science in Education and over 15 years as an author, speaker, and consultant. Susan is a Professional Development Advisor at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, author of the Marketing Yourself to the Real World™ book series, and Founder and President of SC Associates, LLC with work receiving the PR NEWs Digital PR Award and Publicity Club of Chicago Silver Trumpet Award. Susan serves on various advisory boards including Women and Drones (UAS, AAM), Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering SOTY Board of Judges, College Career Consortium of Illinois, and Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers.

From Inbox Chaos to Control: Email Management

We’re all bombarded with emails. We can’t make them go away – wait, actually – yes, we can, at least some of them.

In this session, we will discuss personal habits to develop tools that can automate message processing, and tricks we can use to manage our e-mails more efficiently. I’ll share a personal favorite tip that repurposes a tool you use every single day to help you spend less time on e-mail.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn strategies and habits for managing your inbox
2. Discover auto-processing tools that do some of the work for you
3. Discuss time-saving techniques for processing emails

This program is ideal for:  anyone looking to be more efficent

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Janet Jackson is passionate about three things: her faith, her family, and helping others find time to pursue their passions, professionally and personally. She started Organization Solutions, LLC, in 2001, because she loves people and hates inefficiency.

Prior to starting Organization Solutions, Janet spent six years with Honda of America Manufacturing where she served as the Purchasing Lead on a corporate-wide software implementation, ensuring business and system processes were efficient and effective. She left Honda in 2000 to start Organization Solutions and to have more time for her biggest priority, being a mom.

Janet attended Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, where she double majored in Business Administration and Psychology. She graduated with honors in 1993. While at Taylor, she continued to grow her desire and ability to serve as a leader, which was cultivated initially by her ten-year involvement with Indiana 4-H.

With Indiana roots, Janet and family are currently planted in Ohio. She speaks regionally and nationally to bring increased organization, productivity, and efficiency to businesses and individuals.

Solving Problems with Cognitive Diversity

How most organizations solve their most complex problems today stifles their most valuable problem solving asset, cognitive diversity. This session will help you understand why that is true and provide you with a method of problem solving that will lead to stronger solutions that you never saw coming.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the limitations of current problem solving
2. Discover What cognitive diversity is
3. Practice a problem solving method that better leverages cognitive diversity for better results

This program is ideal for: program managers, product developers, team leaders, and anyone else solving complex problems for their organization.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $80 non-member. $60 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Earl Breon is a Marine Corps Veteran with over 25 years in various leadership roles from the private sector, military, and civilian federal service. He has spent much of that time coaching, mentoring, and providing leadership development in some capacity.

Earl also host the popular Responsible Leadership Podcast which can be found on all the major podcast platforms.

Virtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Wednesday, January 24
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Thursday, January 25
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

The purpose of this two-part workshop is to unpack definitions of “failure”, assessing their roots and effects, so that individuals may reclaim emotional control and build confidence.
Participants will develop new interpretations of failure as well as establish a practice of self-compassion and self-forgiveness, along with the creating their own basis for a system of emotional and stress release. What we really fear is what failure will do to us

Learning Objectives

1. Excavate the roots of our feelings around failure through gentle guidance and questioning
2. Assess the damage inflicted by our mindset and expose the fallacy of those “failure” definitions

This program is ideal for:  everyone

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Emily Morash — A multi-disciplined, ever-curious professional, Emily cut her teeth in the nonprofit world, creating and launching organizations and strengthening existing operations.

With a robust sense of purpose and an irrepressible sense of humor, she embraced the vast nonprofit sector with grace and fervor.

After two successful decades in the nonprofit field, Emily shifted her focus to leadership and team development consulting, with a heavy focus on empathy and mindfulness, founding Hampton Morash, LLC, while also sharing her entrepreneurial and nonprofit management knowledge through teaching at the collegiate level.

Emily teaches graduate courses for Johnson and Wales University and is a lead instructor for the Accelerated Training Center for Workforce Development at Columbus State Community College. She has also instructed workforce development and leadership development classes for Community College of Rhode Island and Bryant University.

Emily received a double B.A. in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Tennessee and earned her M.S. in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.

She is a certified mediator, mindfulness and REBT coach, Everything DiSC® certified partner, Five Behaviors™ certified partner, and the creator of The Mindful Leader Practice™.

Sporting a robust portfolio, Emily is a professional facilitator, public speaker, and business consultant.

“Sick Kid at Home”: How to Cultivate Empathy (and Stop Mind Reading)

Judging other people is a deeply human need, but our judgments can get in the way of an empathetic and compassionate approach to relationships. In this session, you’ll explore mindsets and strategies to cultivate empathy, even when empathy is hard to reach.

You’ll consider the dangers and effects of thinking that we can know other people’s motives. We’ll discuss ways to shift your mindset away from other people’s inner thoughts and toward your own.

You’ll leave with a framework for approaching any situation with an empathetic lens that allows you to show up in your relationships how you most want to show up.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn how mind reading can lead us away from empathy
2. Explore ways to short circuit our brains’ natural tendency to try to mind read
3. Apply a framework for handling various situations that can help you cultivate empathy and show up in your relationships how you want to show up

This program is ideal for:  all leaders regardless of level or expereience

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Eva Grouling Snider is an Instructional Consultant at Ball State University, where she supports faculty in their teaching. She is a certified Gallup Global Strengths Coach and is passionate about helping people see the best in themselves.

Eva Grouling Snider is an Instructional Consultant at Ball State University, where she supports faculty in their teaching. She is a certified Gallup Global Strengths Coach and is passionate about helping people see the best in themselves.