"What greater gift can we give each other than to offer strength, to support momentum, to affirm and enliven each other's enthusiasm! As friends, family, colleagues, coaches, teachers, teammates, and fellow citizens, our goal is not only to live and express our highest, but to uplift those around us to do the same. We know in fact, that we can realize our dreams, goals or vision for society alone. We also know that can't control or convince others, we can only model, inspire, and encourage. The art of encouragement is the art of the nonviolence, the art of empathy, and the embodiment of the Divine Prayer for us all... Grow, Grow!! To encourage others towards their highest, towards themselves, is to be our highest, to be in our nature and potential."

-- Elan Gepner-Dales

Elan Gepner-Dales serves as the Executive Director of SKY Schools USA, an initiative of the International Association for Human Values (IAHV). Elan has overseen the creation of a sustainable and scalable program that has now been taught in 261 schools in 29 states across the US. He has worked closely with state and local governments on youth and population-wide mental health initiatives, including city-wide wellness programs. Elan regularly presents on the power of breathwork and meditation for individual, school, and community transformation at conferences such as Learning and the Brain, National School Board Association, State Conferences for School Superintendents, the Association for Recovery Schools and the International Bullying Prevention Conference. The intersection of all of Elan’s work is alleviating stress and violence in the lives of youth, leaders and communities in need. Elan graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Art Semiotics from Brown University.

Elan will take on the key of Encouragement.