Upcoming events
See what’s happening at Awakened Learning
Summer Intensives: Post-secondary - Cohort 1
Are you heading off to your first year of post-secondary this fall? Are you feeling overwhelmed, unprepared, and unsure?
Dr. Deena offers students the unique opportunity to be led through a 4-day summer intensive program, offered in two unique cohorts for first year post-secondary students.
Access the toolkit most students spend a whole semester wishing they'd had from the start: how to plan your time without burning out, how to get through readings that feel impossible, how to study in ways that actually stick, and the services and insider knowledge that can genuinely make your year easier—the stuff you shouldn't have to learn the hard way.
The Orientation You Really Need: First Year Learning Intensive
July 6-9 (cohort 1) | 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET with Dr. Deena | Hosted on Zoom
Enter your next academic chapter with confidence and get a jumpstart on essential skills
Day 1: Time management, planning, prioritization
Day 2: Reading dense texts and note-taking in higher-ed
Day 3: Studying + test + exam taking for university
Day 4: Services and secret intel, what you don’t have to learn the hard way
The Power of Games in the Learning Process
Led by Michael Fleming
Details coming soon
To get access to this workshop when it becomes available, sign up to The Learning Strategy Studio.
Summer Intensives: Grade 11 + 12
Are you a Grade 11 or 12 student looking to enter their last chapter of high school with more confidence? Are you feeling overwhelmed, unprepared, and unsure?
Dr. Deena offers students the unique opportunity to be led through a 4-day summer intensive program, offered in two unique cohorts for first year post-secondary students.
Access the toolkit most students spend a whole semester wishing they'd had from the start: how to plan your time without burning out, how to get through readings that feel impossible, how to study in ways that actually stick, and the services and insider knowledge that can genuinely make your year easier—the stuff you shouldn't have to learn the hard way.
Grade 11 + 12 Learning Intensive
July 27-30 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET with Dr. Deena | Hosted on Zoom
Day 1: Time management as a senior student
Day 2: Note-taking and reading strategies every senior needs to know
Day 3: Successful studying + testing: How to get the grades you need for higher-ed
Day 4: Setting up for success, and ethical AI
Summer Intensives: Post-secondary - Cohort 2
Are you heading off to your first year of post-secondary this fall? Are you feeling overwhelmed, unprepared, and unsure?
Dr. Deena offers students the unique opportunity to be led through a 4-day summer intensive program, offered in two unique cohorts for first year post-secondary students.
Access the toolkit most students spend a whole semester wishing they'd had from the start: how to plan your time without burning out, how to get through readings that feel impossible, how to study in ways that actually stick, and the services and insider knowledge that can genuinely make your year easier—the stuff you shouldn't have to learn the hard way.
The Orientation You Really Need: First Year Learning Intensive
Aug 31 - Sept 3 (cohort 2) | 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET with Dr. Deena | Hosted on Zoom
Enter your next academic chapter with confidence and get a jumpstart on essential skills
Day 1: Time management, planning, prioritization
Day 2: Reading dense texts and note-taking in higher-ed
Day 3: Studying + test + exam taking for university
Day 4: Services and secret intel, what you don’t have to learn the hard way
AMA with Dr. Deena
Join Dr. Deena and our other LSS community members for a special AMA event.
Find Your Way Through The Fog: The Reunion
Last year, over 70+ participants joined us for this one-of-a-kind workshop event. Now, we’re bringing this highly anticipated series back due to popular demand!
Join the dozens of individuals who have experienced lasting change through our program.
Have you been feeling unfocused, drained, or simply not quite like yourself?—you’re not alone. With today’s pressures to keep up with work, life, and everything in between, it’s no wonder we lose clarity and momentum. ‘Find Your Way Through the Fog’ is an invitation to pause, reset, and gain practical strategies that truly support your wellbeing and performance.
Join Awakened Learnings founder Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer and two of her most trusted colleagues—Dr. Olinca Trejo (ND) and Dr. Beverley David (C.Psych.), for this 90-minute virtual workshop where together we’ll explore the real reasons behind brain fog and burnout. Get introduced to evidence-based tools to help restore energy, sharpen focus, and bring more calm to your day-to-day.
Every Child Belongs Conference
Lived Wisdom at ECB Conference
Humber Polytechnic welcomes you to the 21st Annual Every Child Belongs Conference, celebrating more than two decades of shared commitment to fostering inclusive, responsive, and equitable early years practice.
This year’s theme, “Innovate to Elevate: Connecting for Change,” reflects our collective journey beyond connection toward deeper collaboration, reflective practice, and meaningful transformation across the systems that support children, families, and communities.
Workshops with Lived Wisdom speakers:
10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | June 18 | Humber Polytechnic
Dana Daniels: Neuroinclusive Strategies in Community Services
Dr. Cherie Werhun: Creating Space Within: Inner Systems for Outer Success
Dr. Deena: Not-Urgent-Everything: A Humane Approach to Prioritization
Keynote talk:
3 PM - 4PM | June 18 | Humber Polytechnic
Amanda Cupido: Psychology of Leadership: Overcoming the overwhelm of AI for educators
Groundwork: Feel Good FAQ
Get all the answers to your questions about Groundwork at our free FAQ event.
Welcome to Groundwork—a certification program that trains and credentials educators, built on holistic, evidence-based learning strategy practice.
At this free complementary event, we’ll give you the insights about the program that you may have missed on our site or in our reference guide. Ask questions, meet others who are interested in joining, and leave feeling more prepared to sign up.
Before you join, download the complete reference PDF for all the dates, costs, and what to expect.
Spark + Sustain: Day 2
Tired of chasing a spark of motivation, only to lose your momentum and feel back to where you started?
Dr. Beverley David and Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer present a brand-new motivation masterclass for parents, professionals, and anyone with a heartfelt goal that they’re struggling to stick to.
JUNE 4: Dr. Beverley David, Ph.D., D.Clin.Psy., C.Psych. is a UK-trained Clinical Psychologist with dual doctorates in Clinical Psychology and Sleep Research, now practising in Ontario, Canada. With a rich background in hospital-based care, academic research, and public education—including appearances on Inside Birmingham Children’s Hospital—she brings deep expertise in mental health, sleep, and compassionate clinical support. Sharing her wisdom on…
Why motivation comes and goes
The tension between comfort and familiarity
The role of stress, perfectionism, burnout, and critical self-talk
Psychological tools to break cycles of starting and stopping
Spark + Sustain: Day 1
Tired of chasing a spark of motivation, only to lose your momentum and feel back to where you started?
Dr. Beverley David and Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer present a brand-new motivation masterclass for parents, professionals, and anyone with a heartfelt goal that they’re struggling to stick to.
JUNE 2: Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, Ph.D, OCT is the founder of Awakened Learning and a lifelong learning strategist. Her passion as a first generation student has lead her to directly supporting more equity and justice in educational spaces over the course of 20+ years including help for over 5,000 students, parents, and educators transform their relationship with learning. Sharing her wisdom on…
Why we procrastination and avoid effort
The place of boredom and novelty
The interrelationship of motivation and action
Learning strategies for re-engagement and activation
Making Strategies Work For You: The Power of Reflection
Your brain is as unique as you are. The way you learn should be, too.
Explore how the power of reflection can be a tool for improving how you learn. We’ll go deep on the topic of meta cognition—thinking about your thinking. You’ll learn how to pause, evaluate what’s working, and make intentional adjustments to your study strategies while you’re in the process.
Discover how consistent reflection helps you test new approaches, refine your habits, and grow into a more confident, effective learner.
Led by Bella Scurfield
To get access to this workshop when it becomes available, sign up to The Learning Strategy Studio.
AMA with Dr. Deena
Join Dr. Deena and our other LSS community members for a special AMA event.
Just In Time: Introduction to Post-Secondary for Neurodivergent Learners
Are you a Neurodivergent student (or a supporter of one) preparing for this exciting next step of starting College or University this Fall?
Learn from a Learning Strategist with over 20 years of experience in postsecondary Accessibility Centres, and gain the insight you need to navigate the transition confidently. Build your understanding of the differences between high school and postsecondary supports/ accommodations, know the right questions to ask, and feel more prepared to access the resources available at our new school. Start your journey informed, prepared, and supported.
This workshop is hosted over Zoom on Tuesday | May 21 | 7:00-7:45pm ET
Sign up for just $25 or pay only $20 when you’re a member of the Learning Strategy Studio.
Building Your Study Sanctuary
Do you ever feel like your brain locks up the moment you sit down to study or take a test? That isn't necessarily a lack of preparation, it could be your nervous system’s way of responding to pressure.
Join Jackie for an experiential workshop that goes underneath test stress. In this session, we’ll move beyond standard study tips to explore how internal safety impacts our ability to retain and recall information. You’ll learn practical somatic tools to regulate your stress response in real time and discover how to build a neuroinclusive Study Sanctuary that’s unique to you.
Learn how building a foundation of internal and environmental safety allows you to navigate high stakes moments with more ease and clarity.
Led by Jackie Orsetto
To get access to this workshop, sign up to The Learning Strategy Studio.
Awakened Learning Masterclass: Studying, Upgraded
Feeling the pressure of AI around school and studying? Not sure how to navigate tools responsibly while actually improving your learning?
In this Masterclass session, Dr. Deena offers something more grounded for those feeling confused and overwhelmed by AI studying. In this 1-hour workshop, get insights on careful pairing of today's most useful AI tools with the best of learning science.
Woven through the holistic, sustainable, mental-health-honouring approach Awakened Learning is known for, participants will move well beyond the now-familiar, "have you heard of NotebookLM?" advice. You’ll get to demo brand-new (and free!) tools that even seasoned learners likely haven't engaged with, alongside study techniques rooted in decades of memory and learning research.
We welcome all learners, families, and educators:
High school student closing out the year
Post-secondary students reflecting on the winter semester and looking ahead to what's next
Mature learners preparing for graduate or professional exams
Educators hungry to learn the best of new tools and techniques to support your learners
Parents trying to get a handle on this exploding new AI landscape
This session introduces AI into studying using methods that are ethical, remarkable, and genuinely health-sustaining. Come curious, leave with a few new favourites!
This workshop is hosted over Zoom on Tuesday | May 14 | 7:00-8:00 PM ET
Sign up for just $35 or pay only $28 when you’re a member of the Learning Strategy Studio.
SESSION III: Resourcing the Educator
Join us for a special 3-part series, focused on the connection between mind and body for better cognitive function.
SESSION II: Resourcing the Educator
Join us for a special 3-part series, focused on the connection between mind and body for better cognitive function.
Finishing The Semester Strong
End of the semester blahs? Is summer break the only thing occupying your mind? Time to recharge and reset.
Join us as we about how to find your momentum and stick to your goals, without your emotions calling the shots. Don’t derail your good intentions. Instead, learn how to better put your mood in its place so you can focus on the road ahead.
We’ll take the first steps in creating a plan that keeps our brain happy and teach you how to put it into action.
Led by Raquel Lehto
To get access to this workshop, sign up to The Learning Strategy Studio.
AMA with Dr. Deena
Join Dr. Deena and our other LSS community members for a special AMA event.
SESSION I: Resourcing the Educator
Join us for a special 3-part series, focused on the connection between mind and body for better cognitive function.
Know It, Show It: Exam Skills
Join us for this one night only session that can help you, your learner at home, or your students in class feel more confident during one of school’s toughest challenges: tests and exams.
The Learning Strategy Studio: Presentation Pitfalls
The Learning Strategy Studio is here to help you build confidence around verbal communication. Guide by in-house learning strategist, Raquel Lehto, you’ll learn how to make an engaging and informative presentation that feels easy to get through.
The Learning Strategy Studio: Dungeons and Deadlines
Join us for an epic quest at The Learning Strategy Studio. Guided by in-house learning strategist and university professor, Jenny Sampirisi, this interactive workshop reimagines learning as an ode to Dungeons & Dragons complete with special skills, magical tools, and real strategy-building.
This session offers families and students a fresh, engaging way to approach school. Perfect for all learning styles, Jenny keeps neurodivergent learners centred at every stage of the curriculum.
WEEK 8: Alongside Series
Have Dr. Deena alongside you this semester through this exclusive 8-week program. Every Tuesday from Jan 20th to March 4th, join Dr. Deena as she shares a new transformative learning strategy in a focused bite-size session.
WEEK 3: Job Search Series: Summer 2026
Join us for this three-part virtual workshop, designed to help you plan, refine, and execute a strong summer job search. Guided by in-house career journey Learning Strategist, Emma Hartley this series will help you identify the right opportunities through networking with intention to submitting standout applications.
WEEK 7: Alongside Series
Have Dr. Deena alongside you this semester through this exclusive 8-week program. Every Tuesday from Jan 20th to March 4th, join Dr. Deena as she shares a new transformative learning strategy in a focused bite-size session.
WEEK 2: Job Search Series: Summer 2026
Join us for this three-part virtual workshop, designed to help you plan, refine, and execute a strong summer job search. Guided by in-house career journey Learning Strategist, Emma Hartley this series will help you identify the right opportunities through networking with intention to submitting standout applications.
No More Deadline Dread
The Learning Strategy Studio is back with a special workshop aimed at breaking down and approaching assignments in a way that makes starting less scary. Guided by in-house Learning Strategist, Dr. Christina Page, you’ll walk away with new ways of completing assigned work that showcases your best skills and reduces anxiety around submission timelines.
WEEK 6: Alongside Series
Have Dr. Deena alongside you this semester through this exclusive 8-week program. Every Tuesday from Jan 20th to March 4th, join Dr. Deena as she shares a new transformative learning strategy in a focused bite-size session.
WEEK 1: Job Search Series: Summer 2026
Join us for this three-part virtual workshop, designed to help you plan, refine, and execute a strong summer job search. Guided by in-house career journey Learning Strategist, Emma Hartley this series will help you identify the right opportunities through networking with intention to submitting standout applications.
AI Tools For Parents
Hosted by Dr. Deena
From ultra-efficient studying to catching up on missed classes to helping learners prioritize, there are beautiful, humane ways to use AI…and we want every family member (and teacher) to know about them.