Tips and Materials For Conducting a Breathe Training
Help ensure your Breathe training goes smoothly by following these tips:
Tip 1: Practice, Practice, Practice! The better you know the material, the better you will be at delivering the training and the more you can focus on interacting with the participants rather than simply lecturing to them.
Tip 2: Approach the Training as a Discussion. While you are the tobacco expert, you can also learn from the training participants. In addition to sharing important information with them you also want to listen to their concerns and questions. Demonstrate that you plan to be an on-going resource to them and acknowledge that the issue of tobacco does not get solved with one staff training or one encounter with a parent.
Tip 3: Be Comfortable Saying “I Don’t Know.” You will likely encounter questions you don’t know the answer to or be presented with challenges you don’t have an immediate solution for. That’s OK! In fact that helps reinforce that this is an on-going partnership and it gives you the opportunity to seek out additional information and make a future touchpoint with the organization. Take advantage of that opportunity and be sure to follow up once you have new information and strategies to address their concerns. During the training, you can use this as an opportunity to seek out ideas from other training participants and generate meaningful discussions. After the training, you can seek input from other funded partners in the Facebook Group or contact Health Ed Pros for additional guidance.
Tip 4: Bring Backup. If possible, and especially if you will be training a large group or doing a virtual training, recruit a co-presenter or co-host. This could be a coalition member or a neighboring funded partner. If that person has completed the Breathe Training for Funded Partners you can divide up the training sections and co-present as a team. Or your backup can simply help with passing out materials, collecting sign-up sheets and assessments, helping with the AV equipment, keeping an eye on the chat box, and being your timekeeper.
Tip 5: Arrive Early. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early (both for in-person and virtual trainings) so you have time to set up and ensure the audio/visuals are working. (And double-check the time zone!!) Allowing extra time will also serve as a buffer in case you encounter traffic or other challenges getting to the training site. Make sure you have the cell phone number of your site contact so you can communicate any unforeseen problems that come up on the day of the training.
Tip 6: Be Prepared. Make sure you have all the materials you need to conduct the training and that they are organized to ensure everything flows smoothly.
SPECIAL NOTE: Head Start or other partners may ask you to sign an in-kind form to record the value of Breathe for their own grant purposes. If asked, the Breathe Kits are valued at $350 each. The training itself is valued at $300 (which would include 1 trainer for a 2-hour training and all the necessary preparation and follow-up that is required).
Here is a list of materials you may need for a Breathe Training:
- Initial-Breathe-Training-Powerpoint-7-23-24 (updated)
- Breathe-Teaser 7-30-24 (updated) (30-minute training, does NOT include Breathe kits)
- Laptop, projector, and/or flashdrive (depending on the organization’s set up)
- Breathe Sign-in Sheet/Roster (print multiple copies for large groups)
- Ample copies of Breathe Pre-Training Assessment Updated 7.7.23
- Ample copies of Breathe Post-Training Assessment Updated 7.7.23 (we suggest printing on a different color paper)
- Quit Now Indiana Materials (in English and Spanish, as appropriate)
- Breathe Kits (each kit includes a green bag, flipchart, parent activities booklet, and children’s activities booklet)
- Packet for your Site Contact: consider including a printout of the PowerPoint, county fact sheet with local tobacco data, your business card, QR Code Flyer with kit components (NEW!!), the QR code flyer and Kit locator flyer that link to the FOR PARTNERS webpage, and any other tobacco-related information you want to provide.
- OPTIONAL – Printouts of the Initial Breathe Training Certificate of Completion (personalize trainer’s name and date and let participants fill in their own names, OR you can choose to send these by email after the training)
- OPTIONAL – Printouts of the PowerPoint for all participants