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Center for RelationaLearning, Santa Fe, NM (2026)

07/28/2026

Last week (July 21–23), the Center for RelationaLearning and Anne T. Henderson had the privilege of gathering in Connecticut for another inspiring Relational Leadership Intensive—three days that reminded us that transformational change begins with relationships.

What made this gathering especially meaningful was the opportunity to reconnect with members of our Connecticut Relational Leadership Alumni, including participants who attended our very first Santa Fe Intensive. Watching these leaders reunite, share stories of their continued practice, and welcome new participants into our growing community was a powerful reminder that relational leadership is an ongoing way of leading.

We were also deeply honored to partner with Bristol Public Schools and Wethersfield Public Schools, whose commitment to family engagement and relationship-centered leadership was evident throughout the week.

One of the most memorable moments was welcoming parents from both districts into a Listening Circle. Together, educators, district leaders, and families created a space where every voice mattered and every perspective was valued. These conversations reinforced a truth we continue to experience: when families are invited into authentic dialogue, trust grows and stronger partnerships emerge.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the superintendents from Bristol and Wethersfield for joining us and sharing their vision for leading relationally. Their presence demonstrated the importance of leadership that listens, values partnership, and places relationships at the center of educational excellence.

As we reflected throughout the week, we were reminded that:
Leadership is not measured by the programs we implement, but by the quality of the relationships we cultivate.

Thank you to every participant, facilitator, family member, alumni leader, and district partner who made this experience so meaningful. We leave Connecticut energized, encouraged, and even more committed to helping schools and communities create environments where everyone is seen, heard, valued, and connected.

Special recognition to Dr. Marion, Melissa Redding and Mary Lou Molloy from the Connecticut Statewide Family Engagement Center, Dr. Judy Carson from the Connecticut State Department of Education for laying the groundwork.

Kimberly Bobin from Wethersfield and Sandra Godin from Bristol you are our district champions!

The work continues—and so do the relationships.

07/17/2026

Sometimes the most powerful learning doesn't come from a new strategy or framework.

Sometimes it comes from a simple question.

George and Lisa Otero recently had the opportunity to reconnect with Edvin Hernandez, Family Engagement Program Specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools and a Center for RelationaLearning Level II Relational Leadership Practitioner.

We asked Edvin:
"When you think back on your experiences with the Relationships-First Approach, what has stayed with you?"

His answer was immediate. "The Wellbeing Welcomes. The check-ins."
He shared that these practices have become part of how he shows up each day with families, colleagues, and community partners. They have changed the way he begins conversations and builds relationships.

Then he said something that beautifully captured the heart of the Relationships-First Approach and the intention around the Wellbeing Welcomes:

"I care about you. I want your authentic self to be here now. That's relationships."

Those words remind us that every interaction communicates something.
Before we facilitate, before we teach, before we solve problems, before we ask people to engage - we communicate whether people belong.

A Wellbeing Welcome or intentional check-in isn't just an activity. It's a way of saying, "You matter. I'm glad you're here. Let's begin by connecting before we move to the work."

Over time, those moments become culture. They build trust, deepen engagement, and strengthen the relationships that make meaningful change possible.

Thank you, Edvin, for reminding us that relational leadership isn't about doing more—it's about being more intentional with the moments we already have.

If you're wondering how a Relationships-First Approach could strengthen leadership, family engagement, or your organizational culture, we'd invite you to join us and Anne T. Henderson for our NAFSCE (National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement) co-sponsored Relational Leadership Intensive in August! Visit our website at www. relationalearning.com to register.

How do you intentionally let people know, "I care about you. I want your authentic self to be here now"? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

06/11/2026

A Love Letter to Mount Gambier and the Relationships That Bind Us

Some places leave an imprint long after you’ve unpacked your bags. For us, South Australia—especially the Mount Gambier region and the breathtaking coastline of Robe—is one of those places.

Our week began with a drive through rolling farmland to Padthaway Primary School, one of four champion sites we have been privileged to partner with over the past two years. Alongside leaders from the other champion schools and our wonderful hosts, Lynley Page and Kimberley Crowe, we joined Principal Corinne Mowat for a Learning Walk that reminded us of something profound: when schools begin with relationships, everything else begins to align.

The following day, we gathered with leaders from five Early Learning sites in Mount Gambier for another Learning Walk. It was impossible not to notice the beautiful resonance between the Relationships-First Approach and Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework, where Belonging, Being, and Becoming are not simply aspirations but lived principles. We saw firsthand that when children and adults experience genuine belonging, learning flourishes naturally.

Then it was on to the stunning seaside town of Robe for our 2-Day Relational Leadership Intensive with leaders from across the Mount Gambier 1 Portfolio.
Over those two days, participants reminded us why this work matters. Again and again, they reflected that relationships are not an "extra" or something to fit in when time allows—they are the work. Leaders spoke about shifting from transactional interactions to relational ways of being, embracing practices like Learning Walks, Community Conversations, Listening Circles, and Wellbeing Welcomes. Many shared a renewed commitment to helping every person feel seen, heard, valued, affirmed, and understood.

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway was not a new strategy but a new orientation: moving from asking "What do I need to do?" to "Who do I need to be?"

Our final day brought everything full circle as we facilitated an all-staff training with the three other champion sites—Reidy Park Primary, Gordon Education Centre, and Naracoorte Primary. The highlight was hearing classroom teachers describe, in their own words, how practicing the Relationships-First Approach and relational leadership has transformed not only their classrooms but also their own experience as educators. Their stories reminded everyone in the room that sustainable change grows through daily interactions, intentional listening, and communities built on trust.

As we left, we carried with us more than notes and reflections. We carried hope.
Hope that schools can become places where belonging comes first. Hope that leadership can be measured by the quality of our relationships as much as our outcomes. And hope that the remarkable educators of Mount Gambier and beyond will continue showing what becomes possible when we choose to lead with humanity.

05/25/2026

MELBOURNE INTENSIVE - PART ONE
Leaders participating in our Relationships-First Intensive in Melbourne had the extraordinary opportunity to experience Elwood Primary School not simply as a school, but as a living laboratory for what it means to truly be a relational school.

Through Teacher and Parent Listening Circles, school visits, dialogue, and reflection, participants witnessed what becomes possible when relationships are not treated as an “add-on,” but as the foundation of school culture, leadership, wellbeing, and learning.

What stood out most powerfully were the voices of parents.

One parent shared:
“We intentionally moved from a private school to be at Elwood. From the start, we felt embraced and welcomed. There is the same academic rigor, but our family feels thrilled and blessed to be part of the Elwood community. I love the inclusivity.”

Another parent spoke about developing a wellbeing program with her therapy dog to support students experiencing school refusal and high anxiety. When she approached Principal Nicole to ask if the school would pilot the idea, Nicole responded:
“Yes — and we’ll figure it out together.”

That simple response reflected something much deeper: trust, partnership, and co-creation between families and school leadership.

One parent reflected on the strength of the parent culture itself — WhatsApp groups supporting one another with pickups and drop-offs, friendships extending beyond the school gates, robust volunteer opportunities, parent-only gatherings, and whole-family community events. She shared:
“The school yard is always open. We feel safe and always welcome at Elwood.”

A father then offered a powerful reflection:
“What we have here at Elwood is so special and unique. We didn’t realize that this kind of school community is not normal and sometimes take it for granted.”
He spoke about how Principal Nicole knows every student’s name — and the names of the parents as well. That there are no unnecessary professional barriers. That the school has become a true community hub whose impact extends far beyond the classroom walls.

As participants asked questions throughout the Intensive, one thing became increasingly clear: the culture at Elwood is not accidental. It has been intentionally cultivated over many years through relational leadership, shared ownership, trust, consistency, and a deep commitment to belonging.

We are deeply grateful to Nicole, the staff, students, parents, and wider Elwood community for opening your doors and allowing educational leaders from across Australia to witness what becomes possible when schools place relationships at the center.

05/16/2026

Our Australia journey is underway, and we are grateful to begin this series of visits and learning alongside educators who are courageously centering relationships in their schools and communities.

Our first stop was Elwood Primary School for a full-day staff learning experience focused on the Relationships-First Approach and Relational Leadership.
What makes Elwood Primary so inspiring is that they do not simply talk about relationships as important — they intentionally organize around them.

For more than 15 years, the school has partnered with George Otero and the Center for RelationaLearning to deepen a relational culture that is visible throughout the school community. Relationships are explicitly named in their vision, embedded in their community mantras, and reflected in how staff, students, and families engage with one another every day.

The following day, we spent time in one-on-one conversations with educators who signed up to reflect on how they are placing relationships first in their practice and leadership. Their insights were powerful reminders of what becomes possible when schools intentionally cultivate trust, accountability, and belonging.

Some statements that continue to stay with us:
“If you have the relationship with parents, you never have an impossible situation or conversation.”
“At Elwood, we make arrangements with each other to explore how we want to live relationships.”
“Having students investigate what kinds of future do we want to see, know, and live in.”

These conversations reinforced something we continue to see across contexts: when relationships are centered, schools become places where people feel known, valued, and collectively responsible for one another and for the future they are creating together.

Thank you to the staff and leadership at Elwood Primary for your generosity, openness, and continued commitment to relational ways of being and leading. We are honored to continue learning alongside you as we travel across Australia.

03/20/2026

🌏 A Rare Opportunity in Melbourne, Australia 🌏
The Center for RelationaLearning is honored to offer a two-day Relational Leadership Intensive—an experience that is both timely and deeply needed.

This is a rare opportunity to learn in person with George Otero, who has not been in Australia for several years, alongside Lisa Otero, in an intimate and immersive setting.

Hosted by Elwood Primary School on May 21–22, this Intensive is more than professional learning—it is a transformational experience designed to restore joy, meaning, and satisfaction in both your personal and professional life.

Through the Center’s Relationship-First Approach and the practice of Relational Leadership, participants will engage with:
✨ Foundational principles
✨ Operational principles
✨ Relational practices and tools

This is an invitation to reconnect—with yourself, with others, and with the deeper purpose of your work.

📍 Melbourne, Australia
📅 May 21–22
Spaces will be limited.
Flyer and registration information found by clicking link below https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NOlQIEVTztZqPfhofvryNCJyoGmQBFxz/view?usp=drive_link

12/15/2025

📣 We are proud to announce a new partnership between the Center for RelationaLearning (CRL) and the NAFSCE - National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement to co-sponsor the Relational Leadership Intensives, Level I—a transformative, three-day immersive learning experience held in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

This partnership reflects a deep alignment in mission and practice. Together, CRL and NAFSCE are advancing a Relationship-First approach to family, school, and community engagement—one that centers trust, connection, and CRL's relationships first approach as the foundation for meaningful and sustainable change.

As NAFSCE Executive Director Vito Borrello shared, this collaboration expands purposeful professional learning pathways for family-facing practitioners nationwide. Participants will engage in experiential practices that move beyond compliance-driven systems toward transformational ways of leading and being—by putting relationships first.

The Relational Leadership Intensive is designed for educators, family engagement professionals, and leaders who believe that:
*Trusting relationships are the root of effective family and community engagement
*Learning and leadership are relational, not transactional
*Schools thrive with families and communities, not despite them

Held in the culturally rich setting of Santa Fe, this three-day retreat develops practical tools and embodied relational practices to strengthen relationships with students, families, colleagues, and communities. Participants will also receive Relational Leadership Certification, Level I, along with a one-year NAFSCE membership as part of the experience.

📍 2026 Santa Fe Intensives
March 4–7, 2026
June 22–25, 2026
If you are ready to deepen your practice, reconnect to purpose, and lead with greater presence, trust, and impact, we invite you to join us in Santa Fe.
🔗 Registration and full details are available HERE - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hRTHmYVM4n7DP9N-dhflJlzz2k4tb5PK/view?usp=drive_link

11/26/2025

🍂 Honoring National Gratitude Month
As we enter the day before Thanksgiving, the Center for Relational Learning is reflecting on the season of warmth, connection, and appreciation.

We are deeply grateful for all who believe that Relational Leadership—and placing relationships first—has the power to transform us individually and reshape the purpose of our work. Gratitude is more than a feeling; it’s a powerful practice that enhances our wellbeing, the first Operating Principle of Relational Leadership: First and always, activating wellbeing.

Gratitude shifts our focus from what’s missing to what’s already present. It helps us see beyond life’s challenges and setbacks and re-center on what truly matters. Our primary associate, Maggie Farrar, reminds us that the heart of gratitude lies in the practice of noticing—noticing when someone offers us care or recognition, noticing how it makes us feel, and finding the courage to offer that same affirmation to others.

Gratitude shows up not in grand gestures, but in the micro-moments—the small interactions that make us feel seen, valued, and understood.

🧡 We invite you to join us:
In the comments, share a micro-moment of gratitude you’ve noticed recently. What small thing made a meaningful difference in your day?

Let’s fill this space with appreciation and relational warmth as we move into the holiday.

11/10/2025

🦫 🌙 Introducing the Beaver Moon Cohort of Relational Leaders

The Relational Leadership Intensive I came to a conclusion on Saturday evening. The name for the cohort emerged organically, because we began this journey together on the day of the full moon. We concluded our time together with appreciation, gifting and a commitment to continue to place relationships first in everything we do.

Here are a few of the participant reflections from the three days:

"The biggest surprise for me was that this did not feel like other trainings - it was messy, fun, funny, deep, but above all REAL."

"The most useful information I learned at the Intensive was to be present both with others and myself, and one small step is better than no step at all."

"I valued how supported I felt in this learning process. The expertise of the facilitators and the group contributed to how the approach and informations was absorbed."

11/08/2025

☀️ DAY 2 of the Relational Leadership Intensive ☀️

Foundational Principles
Relational Principles
Community Conversations - Poster illustrates what we want students to leave with.
Natural Ways of Learning via ART with local Santero Frankie Lucero

Center for RelationaLearning

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