Home

2026 Reclaiming Youth Seminars

July 13-18, 2026
Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Above l-r: Steve Van Bockern, Martin Brokenleg, Larry Brendtro, and Mark Freado

Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern, authors of Reclaiming Youth at Risk, and Mark Freado, a leader in the reclaiming youth movement, invite you to attend the 32nd Annual Reclaiming Youth Seminars! Network with colleagues from all over the world to share ideas, learn new skills, inform, inspire, and re-energize. 

Pre-conferences:

The Art of Kid Whispering, 2-day training
Trainer: Mark Freado, MA
July 13-14, 2026 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm)
The Art of Kid Whispering prepares adults to decode the offensive and defensive language of adult-wary youth and discover meaning in their non-verbal communication in order to develop a trusting partnership and a strong platform from which they can grow.

Cultures of Respect: Re-Righting History, 1-day training
Trainer: Dr. Larry Brendtro
July 15, 2026 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm)
Humans have biologically evolved to thrive in Cultures of Respect that meet the needs of both individuals and the group. In contrast, Cultures of Domination are marked by conflict and aggression.This one-day training is based on a new book by Martin Brokenleg and Larry Brendtro that blends Indigenous wisdom with Western science to explore how respectful cultures can be intentionally cultivated.

Main Conference:

Reclaiming Youth Conference, 3-day conference
July 16-28, 2026
Network with colleagues from all over the world to share ideas, learn new skills, inform, inspire, and re-energize. Grounded in resilience research showing that inner strengths and external supports are essential for positive youth development, the Reclaiming Youth Seminars offer practical skills for success with our most challenging children and youth.

Explore timely topics including: 

  • Trauma, Resilience, and Thriving
  • Social and Emotional Learning in Classrooms and Schools
  • Strength-Based Treatment with Children and Families
  • Positive Climates in Residential Care and Juvenile Justice
  • Reclaiming Wisdom of Indigenous Cultures

Visit reclaimingyouth/reclaiming-youth-seminars.org for more info!

 
About Growing Edge Training
 
“To know a person, it is useful to know what he has done, another way of defining what problems he has solved. It is even more informative, however, to know what problems he is working on now. For these will define the growing edge of his being.”

N. Hobbs, 1968

Mark Freado founded Growing Edge Training in 1995 and operated as an independent contractor for nine years. He returned to Pressley Ridge in 2004 and moved on to Cal Farley’s in 2009 until September 2017 when Growing Edge Training, LLC was re-established. Through Growing Edge Training, LLC, Mark Freado and his associates provide training and consultation services to an international array of public and private organizations in the fields of mental health, education, juvenile justice, and social services.

Subscribe to Thriving!