It's easy to ignite learning when we understand how to ignite the brain
Education in America has stagnated...
Throughout the last fifty years we have tried unsuccessfully to raise our education levels in America. Unfortunately, nothing has worked....
Until Now!
Using a neural lens, we can positively affect our education deficiencies, by giving teachers tools and practices that align with how the brain works and how children learn.
What We Do
Inspire Teachers
to ignite their classroom using research-based brain science methodologies which allow them to manage the classroom by managing the brain.
Provide K-12 professional development
to help educators realize a new paradigm - a way of thinking about teaching and learning using a neural lens.
Translate Neuro-scientific Research
(how the brain processes and retains information), into accessible classroom practices and processes.
Improve Educational Outcomes
for all students by empowering them to access their own potential as they understand themselves and see themselves as learners.
"Neural Education offers a deeper understanding of the brain's amazing capacity. When this understanding informs the classroom, lessons come alive - joy and meaning are brought back to learning."
Terry Bergeson - WA Superintendent of Public Instruction 1996-2008
Pacific Lutheran University - Interim Dean, School of Education and Kinesiology
How We Do It
We translate neuroscience research into practical teaching and learning tools that can be applied to real classrooms with real results!
Understanding how the brain works, what stimulates it and how to harness the connections in a positive way enables teachers, parents, and students to flourish.
- Summer Institutes
- Professional Learning Communities
- Parent / School Outreach
- Seminars / Webinars
- Conferences
- Peer-reviewed Papers
Summer Institutes are held at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA and Heritage University in Toppenish, WA
2019 Summer Institutes
Basic Summer Institute
In this one-week immersive course, a framework and foundation in evidence-based Neuroscience is taught that empowers educators. Every participant will gain insight into the science behind how children learn and be given practical and proven skills to identify and re-engage students.
35 Clock hours eligibility! Standard or STEM (PLU only) clock hours.
Learn how to:
- Create a stress-free classroom for all
- Eliminate disciplinary referrals
- Increase Academic Performance
- Help students self-engage with voice and agency
Advanced Summer Institute
This Advanced Neural Education Institute offers graduate educators the opportunity to widen and deepen the neural lens that was introduced in Basic Neural Education Institute. Concepts and techniques that were explored earlier will be honed and polished for application in the classroom. In addition, participants will leave the institute with an action plan for classroom implementation and school-wide dissemination.
20 Clock hours eligibility! Standard or STEM clock hours.
Learn How to:
- Advance your application of neuroscience fundamentals
- Scale neuroscience within your school community
- Help Students access deep learning
"In my 25 years of being in education, this is HANDS DOWN the VERY BEST professional development I've been part of...ever!!"
Karey Richardson, Principal - Stahl Junior High
Making a Difference
Impact of applying Neural Education Principles
Neural educators view teaching and learning as collaborative practices that grow cognitive capacity with the goal of helping every student reach their full potential.
- Classrooms are viewed as greenhouses that promote neural growth
- Student behavior is re-framed to be seen as the brain’s way of communicating overload/stress/anxiety
- Lessons become opportunities to co-create - giving students autonomy and purpose
- School communities shift to focus on relationship building which fosters academic growth
- Classroom management is seen as a side-by-side endeavor with the goal of cultivating neurotransmitters
"Learning about the brain allowed me to understand my own behavior in relation to the behavior of my students. Consequently, I was able to change my beliefs about student behavior by looking through a neural lens. Now I see the student, not the behavior."
Karen Foley, Elementary Teacher - Lincoln Elementary
"We have high poverty and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) climate. I’m seeing how knowledge about learned helplessness helps my children move beyond the “I’m no good” freeze stage. What is interesting for me is that kids who used to give up on the learned helplessness kids are now reinvigorated to teach them resilience by practicing it themselves."
Debbie Dougherty - Toppenish Middle School
Teachers in Action
Building on momentum from the Summer Institutes, Neural Education graduates are bringing their learning and connections back to their classrooms and schools .
Click the button below for a list of current projects.
How YOU can Help
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.
- Sponsor a teacher!
- Sponsor a portion of a Summer Institute
- Be a vendor at a Summer Institute
- Donate money where it is needed most
Volunteer your time!
We have lots of ways you can help!
Share what we are doing
There are lots of ways!
Who We Are
Founder
Chairman of the Board
Kieran O'Mahony
PhD, BcID, FRGS,
Our Focus
Kieran and his Neural Education team see it as their mission to translate the newest findings from psychology/neuroscience/learning sciences into a practical brain-centric pedagogy.
This mission drives Neural Education to continually grow a connected community of neuro-centric teachers and learners seeking to deepen their understanding of How Children Learn.
Board of Directors
Maria Mackey - Treasurer
Christine Young - Secretary
Missy Widmann
Ashley Valentine
Paul O'Beirne
John W Donnelly
Ed Bland
Kimberly Phillips
Nathan Hoerschelmann
Anne Tipper - Advisor
Featured Sponsors
PLU seeks to educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care—
for other people, for their communities and for the Earth.
Celtic Life & Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation whose purpose is to preserve the Irish Celtic heritage for the benefit of Americans of Irish descent; and for all others who are interested in amazing stories, rich history, and would love to experience the goodness of an Irish Blessing.
The Foundation celebrates and preserves Irish Celtic heritage primarily through themed education modules (available for public, private, and home schools) along with short media vignettes, and most recently the Irish card game Seanchaí.