
SEAL Retreats for Educators
No more boring professional development!
Enough with PD that is uninspiring. That’s just annoying.
You deserve better!
A SEAL Retreat is teacher-centered PD that inspires and cares for the educators who attend. Build community in your group, team or staff as you experience the
BEST Professional Development out there.
(And that’s not an opinion, that’s a fact! 😉)



Let’s face it – You are ready for something different!
Sitting in the cafe, listening to another presenter is not inspiring anymore. (And sometimes not even related to what you do!) You and your colleagues need something different, something inspiring.
We’ve got you covered!
We offer SEAL retreats for teams, groups and staffs who want to bond together while learning important SEAL activities and strategies they can use in their own classrooms.
- Arts-Based
- Hands-On
- SEL-Focused
SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning, takes the best of what the arts and creativity has to offer so that students can develop self and social competencies and YOU can make a difference every day!
Schedule a SEAL Retreat with your colleagues and create change in your school and district.
It’s time to Get your Whole Staff Inspired, so they can Be Inspiring for ALL your students!
Planning a SEAL Retreat is Simple!

1. Fill out the form below with your groups' information and questions.

2. We will contact you and design an Inspiring SEAL Retreat!

3. Attend the SEAL Retreat and Get Inspired!
SEAL Retreat Highlights
SEAL Retreats are OVERNIGHT!
Amazing Location
- Essex Woods Retreat and Meeting Center, Essex, MA
- Beautiful location and we have the place all to ourselves
- Includes lodging in the same building as or steps from our workshops
- As an alternative, we can also host your SEAL Retreat at the Rolling Woods Retreat Center in North Andover, MA.
Meals are Included!
- Freshly prepared dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday
- Snacks and drinks throughout the weekend
Focus of the Retreat
- SEAL!!! The entire retreat will be focused on Social-Emotional Artistic Learning strategies to be used with students.
- Hands-On Art Activities! SEAL takes the best of what true arts integration has to offer. The arts provide a naturally differentiated approach for all the retreaters. All the art activities and projects are carefully thought-out and chosen to meet the criteria of SEAL.
- Educator-Centered! YOU will experience all ideas and activities presented at each workshop. This retreat is as much for your SEAL as it will be for your students.
- Community Building! As colleagues, you will retreat together, create and bond in new ways. This is the BEST thing you can do for your students!
Bonuses
- There’s a large hot tub and sauna to enjoy on Friday night.
- We will take advantage of the large fire pit outside where we can drum! (weather permitting)
- A complete handout will be provided that includes all the activities completed as well as the arts standards and corresponding SEL Competencies touched upon during the retreat. This is a great resource to use in your classroom!
- Every retreater will get a special retreater gift upon arrival.
- You will get access to a special SEAL Retreater Playlist so you can enjoy your Friday commute to Essex Woods!
Price
Check out our SEAL Retreat options!
Silhouette Retreat
Workshops include Soundtracking Your Classroom, Drama Improvisation, Guided Visualization and Silhouette Self-Portraits.
Unique Retreat
Work with Elizabeth to discuss your team’s specific SEAL needs and create a unique SEAL retreat to suit your goals.
Mandala Retreat
Workshops include movement based activities, SEAL Spaces, poetry in color, and creating Personal Mandalas.
SEAL Foundations Retreat
Train your group or staff live and in person with this Retreat that takes everyone through the content of our SEAL Foundations course!
Ever wonder what a SEAL Retreat loooks like? Watch this!
Workshops and Instructors
Elizabeth Peterson, C.A.G.S. (Arts, Leadership and Learning) arts integration specialist, elementary teacher and founder of The Inspired Classroom has been designing Teacher-Centered PD for years. Her philosophy is steeped in the idea that teachers need to be inspired in order to be inspiring to their students. She will lead the retreat from the beginning to the end, intertwining the ideas of Wellness and the SEL Competencies into all the SEAL activities.
For your SEAL Retreat, other teachers and artists join Elizabeth to bring amazing SEAL workshops starting on Friday night. In the evening, you are invited to enjoy the company of others with a glass of wine and take advantage of the retreat center’s hot tub and sauna.
Dinner is included on Friday evening and breakfast and lunch are prepared for us on Saturday. Weather permitting we will have a special outdoor drumming circle at the fire pit.
Saturday will be filled with great SEAL experiences that you will want to bring back to your school, classroom or office. Not to mention, you will get so much out of this for yourself!
We will end our time together as we reflect the SEAL activities that developed both arts skills and social-emotional competencies. Discussions will be had about how this all plays out in our schools and classrooms: how our experiences with Teacher-Centered PD will feed what we do with our own students.
Fill this out to start the booking process.
Once we receive this information, we will contact you with a quote. We cannot WAIT to set this amazing PD up for you! This is PD build to truly inspire!
Cancellation Policy and Weather Updates
Paid registrants may send a substitute.
If for any reason your group can’t attend*, 100% of your paid registration will be
refunded when you notify The Inspired Classroom at least 1 week in advance.
Notifications after this time will be refunded less a 10% service fee.
*The retreat will NOT be cancelled for snow or other inclement weather, unless Massachusetts calls for a “state of emergency.” Essex Woods is a year-round facility and will have the property ready for us. Because of this, we cannot refund money to those who do not attend because of weather. 🙂