ADVANCED LEARNING ESD VIRTUAL SEMINAR
Wednesday, December 3rd & Thursday, December 4th
18:00 UTC
Explore diverse ESD lineages, cutting-edge approaches, and shared learning across global certification programs.
Connect. Grow. Empower.
Get ready for an inspiring session! This webinar features seven remarkable speakers from across disciplines, each offering their own lens on learning and practice. After two powerful events, we’re setting the stage for another experience that informs, engages, and connects on a deeply human level.
Meet the speakers
Day 1 (WED, 3. December)
Lauren R. Taylor
Creating a Trauma-Competent Classroom
All our students, whether survivors of gender-based violence or not, need a level of emotional safety to be able to learn. In this skill-building, scenario-based workshop, you’ll learn:
- how trauma affects the mind and body, and how it shows up in the classroom;
- how we as teachers can create a safer classroom that facilitates learning;
- what you can do to help students – and yourself – stay present and grounded;
- how to spot when student behavior is coming from a traumatic experience, and what you can do to help students who are upset or triggered;
- some specific practices and exercises you can integrate into your teaching that help all students stay present and grounded.
This workshop is for everyone: Bring us your experiences and your questions!
Lauren R. Taylor (she/they) is a powerhouse in the movement to end gender-based violence — a fierce advocate for bodily autonomy, safety, and healing. She’s a survivor who, for more than 35 years, has been teaching skills for stopping harassment, abuse, and assault to those most often targeted: women, LGBTQIA+ people, and disabled people.
Lauren and her team at Defend Yourself have shared skills for preventing, interrupting, and healing from harassment, abuse, and assault with some 40,000 people in the D.C. area and nationwide. Her book — Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World — co-authored with Nadia Telsey, is a blueprint for resilience, self-advocacy, and collective liberation. Using practical tools and sharing powerful stories, Lauren equips audiences with skills for setting boundaries, speaking up with confidence, and changing the world.
Rachel Piazza
The less I teach, the more they learn: Why teaching fewer skills can equate to greater impact
As counterintuitive as it seems, I measure the quality of my sessions by how little “teaching” I actually do. In the ten plus years since I founded Feminist Self-Defense, the evolution of my teaching approach has shifted from overt instruction – on systems of power-based violence; how to set verbal boundaries; and providing precise physical self-defense skill instruction – to facilitating a process of co-creation where participants are held as the experts of their own bodies and lives. This horizontal teaching approach requires flexibility and tolerance of uncertainty, but engenders an embodied learning process where skills are the conduit of learning, not the lesson itself.
In this session, I will expound on the evolution of my teaching approach, the merits and pitfalls of prioritizing concepts and facilitation over precise skills-building and offer advice for anyone who wishes to incorporate this approach into their work.
Rachel Piazza is the Founder of Feminist Self-Defense, an evidence-based and trauma-informed violence prevention program that’s been featured on the Today Show, in The New York Times, The Economist, ESPN and more.
She is a TEDx speaker, an Adjunct Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies at New Jersey City University and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with over 15 years experience.
Rachel combines her understanding of gender-based violence with effective self-protection skills and concepts that anyone can learn.
A dynamic and engaging workshop leader, Rachel’s fun and effective approach to sexual violence prevention has been embraced by universities, non-profits and corporations worldwide.
Contact Rachel at: booking@feministselfdefense.com
Krista Hanley
Credentials and Accreditation with the International Association of ESD Professionals
The IAESDP has several ways to expand your reach and showcase your expertise and knowledge within the ESD industry. The Association has programs to serve everyone, including new and seasoned ESD instructors, ESD instructor trainers, and those interested in supporting credentialing. Learn who is eligible, when and how to apply, what the processes include, and the reasons to get involved today!
Day 2 (THU, 4. December)
Jess Gordon
Integrating Social-Emotional Learning into Empowerment Self-Defense
We all know Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is more than just physical techniques—it’s also about awareness, boundaries, emotional regulation, and confident decision-making. But how do we approach these elements in a structured, teachable way? And where do we find support to help our students develop these skills—and feel confident teaching them ourselves?
That’s where Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) comes in. SEL offers a powerful framework for teaching the internal and interpersonal components of ESD, helping us support the whole person—not just their physical responses.
This session will explore how SEL complements ESD and how weaving the two together can deepen both participant engagement and long-term impact. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of SEL’s five core competencies and how they relate to ESD, we’ll look at ways to apply them in your classes, along with practical strategies, activities, and reflection tools to make your ESD offerings even more impactful and inclusive. We’ll also look at how SEL framing can open doors in school settings and strengthen your case with educators, funders, and community partners.
Bio: Jess Gordon is a British-Canadian educator, violence prevention specialist, and founder of Arise Self-Defense—a social enterprise offering trauma-informed, empowerment-based programming for women, teens, and children. As a BC-certified school teacher, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Women Empowered instructor, and a member of the global Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) community, Jess brings over 15 years of experience in education, special needs support, and martial arts.
Based in Vancouver, BC, Jess integrates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, social-emotional learning (SEL), and experiential education to create inclusive, engaging spaces for participants to build confidence, boundaries, and self-trust. She facilitates workshops across schools, communities, and workplaces, and develops curriculum and educator training to expand access to ESD in formal and informal learning settings.
Contact details:
www.ariseprograms.com
hello@ariseprograms.com
social media: @ariseprograms
Lulú Romero
ESD for you and the world: “Por que calladita no me veo mas bonita ”
Lulú Romero is a Lead Promotora, Shelter Advocate, and Empowerment Self-Defense Instructor. A proud mother of five, Lulú’s journey into community leadership began in 2018 when she first learned about ELAWC’s Promotora program. At the time, she was a busy mother, volunteering actively in her children’s school and local community, driven by a desire to help others.
Motivated to make a difference, Lulú enrolled in the 21-hour Contra La Violencia training, graduating as a volunteer Promotora in the Boyle Heights Collective. Becoming a Promotora has been life-changing for Lulú. As a volunteer, she gained personal independence, growth, healing, and found a meaningful way to positively impact the lives of survivors in her community.
In 2019, Lulú was invited to deepen her involvement by enrolling in the 70-hour Spanish-Advocate hotline training. From 2020 onward, she has also served as a Community Health Promotora as part of the COVID-19 outreach team, providing PPE, vaccine resources, and critical health information to hundreds of community members.
In 2022, Lulú achieved certification as an Empowerment Self-Defense Instructor Level 1 with ESD Global, Inc. and is currently working toward her Level 3 certification, which will allow her to serve as a mentor and coordinator in empowerment self-defense.
Learning about Circles as a tool for transformative justice has deeply impacted Lulú’s approach to community work. She is excited to lead Circles, knowing the profound healing and empowerment they bring.
Lulú is an inspiration to many, a fierce advocate, and a voice of empowerment for Latinas and her community.
Sarah MacArthur
Intentional Leadership – The Future of Leadership
In this session we will explore leadership models, how leadership is changing, and how to become a more intentional as influence others (everyone is a leader in some way!)
Sarah McArthur considers herself a “Flow Architect” for change-makers, guiding leaders, coaches, and helpers to understand the power of self-resourcing so they can lead from inner well-being and create greater impact.
For more than 15 years, Sarah has worked as an entrepreneur and leader with expertise in personal development, personal safety, and trauma healing. Her own empowerment journey began at IMPACT Personal Safety of Colorado, where she started as a student, grew into an instructor, and ultimately became Executive Director.
Today, Sarah serves as CEO of Power of XYZ Inc., a creative agency dedicated to helping change-makers build their dreams and bring them to life. She is also an author and speaker, sharing her stories of personal safety and empowerment on stages, podcasts, and conferences.
You can connect with Sarah on LinkedIn