Speaking & Keynotes

Sessions that change how educators see the students they've given up on.

Dr. Nolan brings 25 years of classroom, field, and published research into every room she enters. Her sessions are built for practitioners — not inspiration theater.

Inquire About AvailabilityAvailable for keynotes, half-day workshops, and multi-day institutes

Session topics

Keynote / Workshop60–90 min keynote · 3-hour workshop version available

From Pushout to Pathway: Redesigning School Discipline for the Students We Keep Losing

For: K-12 district leaders, principals, school counselors

Most discipline systems are designed to remove students, not redirect them. This session gives school leaders a research-backed framework for replacing punitive practices with restorative ones — and the data to make the case to their boards.

Participants leave with

Understand the school-to-prison pipeline as a policy problem, not a student problem
Apply the RISE Framework to audit your current discipline approach
Leave with three immediate changes that don't require a budget

Keynote / Institute60-min keynote · Full-day institute version available

Education Behind the Fence: What Incarcerated Youth Need That No One Is Providing

For: Juvenile justice administrators, reentry coordinators, higher ed faculty

Drawing directly from her published research and open-access book, Dr. Nolan walks practitioners through the specific educational gaps that make reentry fail — and the program structures that make it work.

Participants leave with

Identify the three systemic gaps that predict reentry failure
Design education continuity plans that survive facility transitions

Workshop / Professional DevelopmentHalf-day workshop

From Findings to Practice: Turning Education Research into PD Teachers Can Use

For: Teacher educators, instructional coaches, PD providers, graduate students

Research findings stay in journals while teachers ask what to do differently on Monday morning. Built on Dr. Nolan's mini-course developed for AERA 2027, this hands-on session teaches a structured method for translating research into professional development educators can use immediately.

Participants leave with

Apply the four-step Research-to-Practice Translation Framework: Identify, Reframe, Design, Pilot
Draft a PD session outline grounded in evidence and adult-learning principles
A plan for piloting the session and evaluating whether it changed practice, not just satisfaction

Keynote / Workshop60-min keynote · 6-hour full-day workshop

Trauma-Informed Is Not Enough: Moving from Awareness to Practice in K-12 Schools

For: Teachers, instructional coaches, school psychologists, district PD coordinators

Most trauma-informed training stops at awareness. This session goes further — giving educators the specific instructional and relational practices that create safety for students who've experienced chronic stress.

Participants leave with

Distinguish trauma-informed awareness from trauma-responsive practice
Apply five classroom strategies that reduce dysregulation without removing students
Build a school-wide response protocol that doesn't depend on one counselor

Engagement formats

Keynote

60–90 minutes. Built for conferences, convocations, and district opening days. Leaves the room with a shared language and a clear next step.

Half-Day Workshop

3–4 hours. Deeper skill-building with small-group application. Ideal for leadership teams and department PD days.

Full-Day Institute

6–7 hours. Comprehensive framework training with tools, protocols, and an implementation plan your team leaves with.

Multi-Day Residency

2–3 days on-site. For districts and institutions ready to make a structural change, not just a one-day event.

Past & upcoming engagements

American Educational Research AssociationAssociation for Experiential EducationCarnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED)League for InnovationNACADA

Bring Dr. Nolan to your event or institution.

She accepts a limited number of speaking engagements each year to ensure every session receives her full preparation. Reach out early — availability fills quickly around conference season.

Inquire About Availability

Virtual and in-person engagements available