Get to Know Ali.
“Working with Ali is like a breath of fresh air. She is the pause I so desperately need as a second grade teacher to stop and remember my “why”. Ali is an advocate for students and teachers. She exudes passion and dedication to the field of education. Ali has the gift of uniting and connecting others, cultivating purpose and improved outcomes for schools.”
Hannah B. – Second Grade Teacher
National keynote speaker, trainer, and coach
Ali Hearn, LCSW is a national keynote speaker, trainer, and coach whose mission is to shift mindsets and ignite fires within others to create sustainable change and impact.
Throughout her career, she has worked with thousands of educators across the country, emphasizing the importance of improving social/emotional skills, promoting the installation of Restorative Practices within school systems, and reinforcing multi-tiered systems of support frameworks to better support the current needs of students, staff, and families.
Supporting you to staycurious.connected.empowered.
Hey, Ali Hearn!
Ali’s diverse experiences as a school-based social worker first sparked her passion for working with people, and her years working with the Midwest PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Network in partnership with the National Center on PBIS, honed her skills in strengthening school systems and culture to positively impact social, emotional, and academic outcomes.
Ali received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois and her Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University in Chicago. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Restorative Practices trainer.
Her love of improv and graphic recording bring additional elements of art to her work.
More About Ali.
Part Science
Creating schools that are safe, consistent, predictable, and equitable for all students and staff is a science.
It is easy to say “organizational systems are important.” The challenge is to build systems that can meet each student’s needs with the exact level of support necessary, install the systems successfully so they can last over time, and design them to be agile enough to shift with the realities of an ever-changing world.
Ali has supported districts/schools for over a decade in the science of (1) installing data-driven decision-making frameworks; (2) supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices; and (3) developing social/emotional learning competencies, to ensure positive outcomes for both students and staff.
Part Art
Creating schools that are safe, consistent, predictable, and equitable for all students and staff is also an art.
The science only takes us so far in the process of true change. Helping people strengthen trust, communication, collaboration, relationships, etc., as well as honing the skills necessary to facilitate interventions and supports, is the art . . . the glue that holds the science together.
Grounded in her work as a school-based social worker and a Restorative Practices practitioner/trainer, Ali creates experiences that transform educators personally and lead them to embrace and implement practices that will positively impact students.
All Passion
“Cracking the code of how to help all students and staff feel like they belong is not just my work . . . it’s my passion.
“Everywhere I look I make connections between the needs I see and the tools we already have or could be created to address them. I love to inspire schools to create the change our students (and staff) desperately need today.
“Developing educators’ skills as systems designers and growing their hearts as human beings gives me hope that we can make our schools better than they have ever been. I’ve never been more committed to the art and science of education transformation.” – Ali Hearn
See Ali in Action
“Ali has a great coaching and presentation style as she pushes teams to think more systematically about supporting students. One of the most exciting aspects of our work with Ali is that she is helping us find ways to begin embedding restorative practices as part of our Tier 1 system in classrooms.”
Dr. Kelly M- Director of Personal Learning and Student Support, IL
“Within the first minute of working with Ali, you can feel this great energy and connectedness she provides for staff and students. She really helps you to reflect on your current practices and dive deeper to support all students. I’ve really appreciated her approach because she focuses on community building, togetherness, and seeing visible impact through data and student experiences. We are fortunate to have this great human being to work with right now in education.”
Allison G.- Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning, IL
“She is a true expert in every meaning of the word, and is very consistent in how she relays the message. On a scale of 1 to 10, she is an 11. She rocks!”
Dr. Christopher B.- Superintendent of Central School District, NY