Empowering Schools, Elevating Success
Hello there! I’m Hart Thorson, an educator, learning experience designer, and motivational interviewing practitioner who helps schools turn everyday conversations into catalysts for change. I work with educators who are often caught between enrollment pressures, student needs, and their own mixed feelings about changing how things have always been done.
Having worked in adult education for nearly two decades in various roles, I understand the types of conversations educators have not only with students but also with parents, guardians, families, and colleagues. These discussions can sometimes lead to frustration for various reasons, which is what initially drew me to motivational interviewing years ago.
In my own work with students and clients, I use MI to normalize ambivalence, listen for change talk, and strengthen their reasons and confidence to take the next step, whether that is showing up to class, re‑engaging with a program, or making a significant life decision. Using the MICA coding system, I observe real conversations, offer focused feedback, and coach toward higher fidelity MI skills over time.
At the heart of my approach is a simple belief: people are the experts on their own lives. My role is to bring structure, tools, and curiosity, not to prescribe answers. I prioritize partnership, genuine respect, and autonomy support, creating spaces where educators, leaders, and students feel heard, not judged, and can discover that they already have many of the resources they need for change. When we design training, curricula, or student workflows, we do it with the people most affected in the room, honoring their lived experience and strengths.
If your school is ready to move beyond one‑off initiatives and build a culture where conversations consistently evoke change, I would love to explore what that could look like on your campus. We can start with the real challenges your team is facing and design learning experiences and everyday interactions that help people grow on purpose.
Ready to change the conversations on
your campus?
Whether you’re a principal, dean, director of advising, or student support lead, you don’t have to tackle this alone. We can start small with a 2‑hour Intro, design a focused 90‑day pilot, or plan a 5‑day institute or system‑wide partnership that fits your context and calendar.
We’ll use the call to understand your goals, share options and price points, and help you decide whether The Change Conversation is a good fit for your school.
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