Welcome to Boston Children's Hospital Community Education Initiative!

The Community Education Initiative is sponsored by the Inpatient Medical Programs.

We're thrilled to be your go-to resource for professional development tailored for school nurses and other dedicated community providers. At Boston Children's Hospital Community Education Initiative (CEI), we understand the vital role you play in the well-being of school-aged children and their families. That's why we offer a comprehensive range of educational opportunities designed to support and enhance your invaluable work.

What we offer

The Community Education Initiative provides flexible and engaging ways to expand your knowledge and skills, including:

  • Online courses: Dive into a variety of clinical, mental health, and wellness topics at your own pace.
  • School professional day trainings: Bring our expertise directly to your school for a customized learning experience.
  • Monthly evening lecture series: Stay current with the latest advancements through our engaging lectures held throughout the school year.
  • Annual conferences: Join us in August and November for in-depth discussions and networking opportunities with peers.

Our courses offer both nursing contact hours and professional development points (PDPs), helping you meet your professional requirements.

Professional development training days

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Cover of pamphlet to download. Imagery of young boys. Text: "What is a Professional Day?"

Please take a moment to look over our Professional Development Program information. If you are looking to hold a program with us, we would love to start the planning process.

Please note: If you want training for the months of September and October, ideally requests need to be made by mid-June.

Stop the Bleed Trainings

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Stop the Bleed Training, medic bag with stethoscope

In trauma, bleeding is the #1 cause of preventable death. Everyone can learn to save a life in a Stop the Bleed Course. The Stop the Bleed campaign is a national initiative that aims to empower individuals to save lives by providing training on how to control severe bleeding.

The Community Education Initiative in collaboration with Stop the Bleed Instructor, Tracey Sutherland, MSN, CPNP, Trauma Nurse Practitioner in the BCH Trauma Center 
can provide your district with this life saving training -The basic course is free of charge but for a small fee, your staff can also receive 1.0 nursing contact hours.

You have two options: 

4/9/26, 10am to 11am 
Children’s Hospital Waltham
Register one staff member to train to be a Stop the Bleed Instructor for your district OR 

Fill out the request form for Tracey/team to come to your district and provide basic stop the bleed class to staff.

Please reach out to judi.naar@childrens.harvard.edu with any questions.

2025-26 CEI Lecture Series

Throughout the school year, the Community Education Initiative hosts a number of evening lectures via Zoom. These lectures will provide you up-to-date information on many issues related to school health.

  • All live sessions via Zoom
  • Course length varies and pricing is dependent on how long session is — ranging from 30 minutes to two hours. Please see Lecture Series registration page for specifics
  • Purchase orders are accepted and must be emailed to judi.naar@childrens.harvard.edu along with nurse’s name and email address.
  • All Zoom access and handouts will be emailed out to all registered attendees the day before each program.

Among the topics being covered this year:

  • Managing Difficult Conversations (1/14/26)
  • ILD & Oxygen Use (1/28/26)
  • Vaping (2/11/26)
  • Public Benefits (2/28/26 - Free of charge)
  • Whole School, Whole Mind, Mental Health Essentials (3/11; 4/15 and 4/29)

Visit the Lecture Series registration page.

NEW! Online Courses Available

Check out our new Teachable School to discover our current selection of pre-recorded lectures that you can register for and complete at your convenience. We're continuously expanding our offerings, so be sure to check back often for new and exciting courses!

Recently added topics: Seizures, Eating Disorders, 2025 Pediatric Diabetes Update series and  ​Children with Special Health Care Needs: Process, Planning & Development of Individualized Health Care Plans​.  Create an account today!

Questions? Please email judi.naar@childrens.harvard.edu.

Additional resources

Resource library for school nurses: If there is a resource that you would like to see added to our library, please email judi.naar@childrens.harvard.edu and we will add it.

The Community Education Initiative Team

For questions about programs, please contact:

For questions about payment and registration, please contact:

We'd love to hear from you!

If you have topic ideas, program ideas, or general feedback and thoughts on how we can improve our program to better serve YOU, the school nurse, let us know by filling out this Community Education Initiative Feedback Form.

We look forward to hearing from you!