Wilkes University will host “Wired for Connection: Generating Transformative Learning,” a professional development event focused on education and engagement, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. in the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts, located at 239 S. River Street in Wilkes-Barre. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Educators, community advocates, leaders and parents are encouraged to attend.
This powerful, accessible event, presented in partnership with PLS Classes, will explore how the nervous system shapes communication, behavior and relationships. Attendees can gain practical strategies to strengthen connection, regulate emotions and navigate conflict with greater clarity and compassion.
Program themes include:
- The impact of adversity on learning and behavior
- Designing curriculum for connection and cognitive growth
- Creating safe and engaged learning environments
- Identifying and minimizing barriers to learning and behaviors
The keynote address will be delivered by Lori Desautels, PhD, neuroscientist and assistant professor at Butler University. Desautels is also the founder of the Educational Neuroscience Symposium at Marian University in Indianapolis. Her work focuses on engaging students through social and relational neuroscience, including the Applied Educational Neuroscience framework.
The event will also include poster and resource presentations, as well as displays from community resources.
Act 48/Continuing Education (CE) credits will be available for this event. Registration is now open and can be completed online at wilkes.edu/wired.