Reclaiming Youth Seminars
The 2025 Seminars Begin In...
Make plans now to attend the 2025 Reclaiming Youth Seminars to be held on the campus of Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, July 14-19, 2025.
Registration is now open!
"It was truly inspiring to witness the collective passion and dedication to youth empowerment."
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 Annual Reclaiming Youth Seminars! The 2025 seminars will be held July 14-19, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and will run from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily.
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.
Register now!
Schedule of Events
All events run from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM daily
Pre-Conference Options:
Respectful Alliances, 3-day Training
July 14-16, 2025 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm)
Join Dr. Larry Brendtro & Beate Kreisle for this 3-day intensive training of Response Ability Pathways (RAP) & Positive Peer Culture (PPC). These two Circle of Courage trainings transform trauma into resilience by strengthening Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. Learn how to restore bonds of respect and build strengths in youth!
OR
Reclaiming Youth at Risk, 2-day Training
July 14-15, 2025 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm)
Mark Freado leads this 2-day training on the foundation of the Reclaiming Movement. Reclaiming Youth at Risk puts the Circle of Courage principals of Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity into action with practical tools for providing support & guidance to youth in conflict. Contact us to learn how you can become a certified trainer in Reclaiming Youth at Risk!
Schools That Matter, 1 day Workshop
July 16, 2025 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm)
Led by author & course creator, Dr. Steve Van Bockern, the Schools That Matter workshop offers educators new skills to transform schools into environments where all students, staff, teachers, and administrators feel connected, competent, and powerful. During this workshop, participants will learn how to create schools that encourage emotional intelligence, focus on discipline and not punishment, use best practice instruction, and cultivate talents and interests.
Main Conference:
July 17-19: Reclaiming Youth Conference
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.
"I left the conference feeling armed with new perspectives and tools to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people."
Engaging and Practical Sessions
- Building Respectful School Climates
- Strength-Based Treatment with Children and Families
- Positive Climates in Residential Care and Juvenile Justice
- Reclaiming Wisdom of Indigenous Cultures
- Trauma, Resilience, and Thriving
Inspirational Atmosphere and Direct Interaction with Experts
"Eye-opening and rejuvenating"
Conference Information
Printable Registration Form coming soon!
2025 Schedule coming soon!
Seminars Location
Pre-conference sessions will be held at the Madsen Center.
The main conference will be held at the Froiland Science Complex (Lower Level Auditorium).
Augustana University
33rd Street & Summit Ave.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Accommodations
The event will be held at Augustana University, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
All participants are responsible for their own lodging which is not included in the conference registration fee. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Sioux Falls-City Centre located at 100 W 8th Street, a ten-minute drive from the Augustana campus.
Holiday Inn Room Rate:
$134 + taxes and fees*
*$15 of the fee will be reimbursed for reservations made within the block
Group:
Reclaiming Youth at Risk Room Block
Phone:
605.339.2000; 1-800-HOLIDAY
Block Rate Dates: July 12-July 20, 2025
The Holiday Inn is conveniently located in downtown Sioux Falls and has an indoor pool, whirlpool, exercise room, lounge, and restaurant. If you have any issues booking a room at the Holiday Inn City Center, please contact Wendy Beukelman (RY Training Coordinator); 605-906-4694; wendy@reclaimingyouthatrisk.
Travel Arrangements
All participants are responsible for their own transportation.
Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is served by several major airlines. Traveling by auto, the city connects to Interstate Highways 90 and 29. Sioux Falls offers Uber, Lyft, taxi, and public bus transportation within the city. The Holiday Inn offers a free airport shuttle.
The Centennial of the Reclaiming Youth Movement
The 2025 Reclaiming Youth Seminars will celebrate The Centennial of the Reclaiming Youth Movement which dates to the publication of the original German edition of Wayward Youth by August Aichhorn in 1925. Aichhorn’s work inspired pioneers in education, social work, mental health, and delinquency who challenged punitive mindsets. They envisioned a world in which children and youth would be treated with dignity and respect, and contribute as full members of their family, school and community. Join us as we explore a century of innovative ideas needed in these challenging times.
Join us in July 2025!
Mission Statement
The mission of Reclaiming Youth at Risk is to provide research, training, and consultation to build strengths in children, families, schools, and communities. For thousands of years, American Indian cultures nourished respectful and courageous children without employing punitive discipline. Drawing from these little-understood resources, we provide a holistic approach to reclaiming youth at risk. Courage for the discouraged — for youth and for professionals as well!
Our Core Values
Our core values are grounded in the Circle of Courage philosophy, emphasizing belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity as essential to holistic development.
Our Philosophy
At Reclaiming Youth at Risk, we believe that every child has the innate capacity for positive growth. Our philosophy is rooted in the principles of the Circle of Courage, which asserts that the fulfillment of universal growth needs — belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity — is crucial for the development of all young people. By integrating these values with the latest in psychological research and practical application, we strive to create environments that promote resilience and thriving, not just for youth but for the communities that support them.