Belfast, Maine–A two-day professional development program, Beginning the Journey of Courageous Communication: Integrating nonviolent communication and interpersonal neurobiology, will be offered May 17–18 at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center.

The comprehensive program will benefit participants from a wide variety of fields, both for-profit and non-profit sectors, including education, healthcare, criminology and social services.

The program, from 8:30 a.m.–430 p.m. each day will include a continental breakfast and catered lunch. The fee is $150 per person, with need-based scholarships available.

Program presenter Peggy Smith earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a certified trainer with the International Center for Nonviolent Communication, with over four decades of teaching experience. A co-founder of the Maine NVC Network, Smith is at the forefront of bringing empathic thinking and communicating to the midcoast Maine region.

The goal of this interactive program is to explore a way of thinking, acting and speaking that builds connection, even during times of stress and conflict. It will provide participants with direct experience in empathic listening and problem-solving–practical concepts and skills to use daily.

For more information, to register or request an accommodation or scholarship application, contact Diana McSorley, 338.8093, diana.mcsorley@maine.edu

The Hutchinson Center, an outreach center of the University of Maine, is committed to offering high-quality professional development programs to the greater midcoast Maine community.

About the University of Maine:

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state’s land grant and sea grant university. As Maine’s flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast and attracts students from Maine and 49 other states, and 67 countries. It currently enrolls 11,240 total undergraduate and graduate students who can directly participate in groundbreaking research working with world-class scholars. The University of Maine offers 35 doctoral programs and master’s degrees in 85 fields; more than 90 undergraduate majors and academic programs; and one of the oldest and most prestigious honors programs in the U.S. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide aimed at conserving energy, recycling and adhering to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.