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    • Workshops >
      • Behavior/Mental Wellness Workshops >
        • Brain & Balance, Fall 2025
        • Comprehensive Behavior Intervention, FALL 2025
        • Grief in Schools, Oct. 16, 2025
        • Question, Persuade, Refer, 2025-26
        • Teaching with Trauma in Mind Oct. 16, 2025
        • Trauma Support Cohort for MT Educators, Fall 2025
        • Why Students Do What They Do, Oct. 16&17, 2025
      • Developing a Title I Desk Manual, Aug. 1, 2025
      • Developing a Title I Desk Manual, Oct. 16, 2025
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        • MANDT Recertification, Aug. 1, 2025
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      • Tech Tools With Shelley, Aug. 7, 2025
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      • ​The 27th Annual AUGUST INSTITUTE >
        • AI Hotel Room Blocks
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      • INCREASE EQUITY OF STUDENT SERVICES Grant
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    • MT Teacher Residency Program
    • MT Youths’ Mental Health Focus Group
    • Walking YZ Educational Consulting Services
    • Reach Higher Montana
    • SHINE Health and Nurse Education
MTPLC.ORG
  • Home
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
    • Sponsors/Partners
  • Online Courses
    • MTPLC Online Courses (Full List)
    • Educational Leadership Courses
    • English Language Arts Courses
    • Gifted & Talented Courses
    • IEFA Courses
    • Improving Instructional Practices Courses
    • Thinkific Courses
    • VESi Courses
  • Workshops & Conferences
    • Workshops >
      • Behavior/Mental Wellness Workshops >
        • Brain & Balance, Fall 2025
        • Comprehensive Behavior Intervention, FALL 2025
        • Grief in Schools, Oct. 16, 2025
        • Question, Persuade, Refer, 2025-26
        • Teaching with Trauma in Mind Oct. 16, 2025
        • Trauma Support Cohort for MT Educators, Fall 2025
        • Why Students Do What They Do, Oct. 16&17, 2025
      • Developing a Title I Desk Manual, Aug. 1, 2025
      • Developing a Title I Desk Manual, Oct. 16, 2025
      • Mandt Workshops >
        • MANDT Recertification, Aug. 1, 2025
        • MANDT Training, Aug, 18&19, 2025
      • Place-Based Making: IEFA and the Visual Arts, Aug. 7, 2025
      • Tech Tools With Shelley, Aug. 7, 2025
    • Conferences >
      • ​The 27th Annual AUGUST INSTITUTE >
        • AI Hotel Room Blocks
        • Districts with Free or reduced price Registrations 2025
        • Schedule 2025 & App download
  • Services/Grants/Programs
    • MTPLC School Counseling Services
    • MTPLC Special Education Services
    • MT Cares >
      • MT Cares Webinars
      • INCREASE EQUITY OF STUDENT SERVICES Grant
      • CharacterStrong
    • MANDT Training
    • MT Medical Billing
    • MT Teacher Residency Program
    • MT Youths’ Mental Health Focus Group
    • Walking YZ Educational Consulting Services
    • Reach Higher Montana
    • SHINE Health and Nurse Education
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​
​MONTANA PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING COLLABORATIVE
​Your Resource for Professional Learning
Video credit: Jordan Lefler
Montana Adventure Lifestyle Photographer
The Montana Professional Learning Collaborative (MTPLC) is an ESA and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes for students by providing comprehensive professional development and support services to educators and schools. MTPLC serves schools of all sizes, including those in extremely rural and tribal communities. MTPLC offers affordable self-paced online courses for continuing education credit through the University of Montana focusing on English Language Arts, Gifted Education, and Indian Education for All (IEFA), a Montana constitutional mandate that all students learn about the history, diversity, cultures, and sovereignty of Montana’s tribes.  Other program areas include in-person and virtual workshops on such topics as Artificial Intelligence in Schools, Dyslexia, Behavioral and Mental Health and hosts the yearly August Institute, a three day hybrid conference currently in its 28th year.
MTPLC also delivers specialized consulting and administrative support in the areas of special education, teacher mentorship, Title I program development and monitoring. Finally, MTPLC administers a Stop School Violence Grant, which includes programs like Montana Cares, Mandt training, and Character Strong, providing mental health support and social emotional skill development for rural and tribal students.

O U R   S E R V I C E S

Helping Your Professional Development Needs

Online Courses
Workshops & Conferences
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Self-paced online courses for professional development units or University of Montana credits. We also offer VESi and Thinkific online courses.
We offer in-person, and blended conferences.

Special Education/504, School Counseling & Stop School Violence Grant

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​MTPLC Special Education/504 Services

​
We recognize the critical role we can play in supporting students with disabilities, particularly in rural areas where schools may struggle to recruit and retain qualified special education staff. By offering a range of consulting services, we can help fill gaps in expertise and ensure that schools provide high-quality, legally compliant, and evidence-based support to students with disabilities.

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​​MTPLC School Counseling Services

We can offer specialized services to assist schools in establishing and sustaining comprehensive school counseling programs spanning grades preK-12. Through targeted professional development and coaching, I will assist schools in providing the necessary support for student success. These services are accessible to all schools throughout the state, irrespective of their location or available resources.

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​Stop School Violence Grant

​
The SSV Grant encompasses 3 components (Montana Cares, MHRN, & E-Therapy)

Meet Our Team

Our Board

Claire Hibbs-Cheff

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Board Chair

Janelle Beers

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​Vice Chair

Ionela Rusnac
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Secretary/Treasurer

Our Staff

Jessica Johnson

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Executive Director
SSV Program Manager/ Resource Navigator
Certified Mandt Trainer

[email protected]
​406-210-0374

Erin Lipkind

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Continuing Education Course Manager
[email protected]
​406-218-0186


Daisy Carlsmith, M.Ed.

Dr. Cindy Fouhy

Megan O’Hern

Shelley Emslie

Website
Communications
Instructor
[email protected]
​406-529-1113

Mental Health Director,
​Certified Mandt Instructor

​[email protected]

Mandt Trainer
megan.o'[email protected]

PD Facilitator
[email protected]


Jon Martin

Holly Duffey

Julie Fiske

Rebekah Blood

SPED Services
SPED Services
SPED Services
​(Click on photo for bio.)

School Psychologist/  Workshop Facilitator
Advisory Board Directors
Emily Salle
Chris Morigeau
Shawna Kientz

MONTANA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COLLABORATIVE

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Contact Us

Ask us for more information about our courses, grants, trainings, partnerships, and more.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1514, Lolo, MT 59847

Subscribe to our newsletter
Contact Us

T E S T I M O N I A L S

Happy People

A great organization offering great continuing education opportunities!
Jennifer K. Schoffer Closson
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  • Home
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
    • Sponsors/Partners
  • Online Courses
    • MTPLC Online Courses (Full List)
    • Educational Leadership Courses
    • English Language Arts Courses
    • Gifted & Talented Courses
    • IEFA Courses
    • Improving Instructional Practices Courses
    • Thinkific Courses
    • VESi Courses
  • Workshops & Conferences
    • Workshops >
      • Behavior/Mental Wellness Workshops >
        • Brain & Balance, Fall 2025
        • Comprehensive Behavior Intervention, FALL 2025
        • Grief in Schools, Oct. 16, 2025
        • Question, Persuade, Refer, 2025-26
        • Teaching with Trauma in Mind Oct. 16, 2025
        • Trauma Support Cohort for MT Educators, Fall 2025
        • Why Students Do What They Do, Oct. 16&17, 2025
      • Developing a Title I Desk Manual, Aug. 1, 2025
      • Developing a Title I Desk Manual, Oct. 16, 2025
      • Mandt Workshops >
        • MANDT Recertification, Aug. 1, 2025
        • MANDT Training, Aug, 18&19, 2025
      • Place-Based Making: IEFA and the Visual Arts, Aug. 7, 2025
      • Tech Tools With Shelley, Aug. 7, 2025
    • Conferences >
      • ​The 27th Annual AUGUST INSTITUTE >
        • AI Hotel Room Blocks
        • Districts with Free or reduced price Registrations 2025
        • Schedule 2025 & App download
  • Services/Grants/Programs
    • MTPLC School Counseling Services
    • MTPLC Special Education Services
    • MT Cares >
      • MT Cares Webinars
      • INCREASE EQUITY OF STUDENT SERVICES Grant
      • CharacterStrong
    • MANDT Training
    • MT Medical Billing
    • MT Teacher Residency Program
    • MT Youths’ Mental Health Focus Group
    • Walking YZ Educational Consulting Services
    • Reach Higher Montana
    • SHINE Health and Nurse Education