Joshua Wayne, MA, has worked with students in just about every setting imaginable since 1996: drug and alcohol treatment, with at-risk foster youth, community mental health, private practice, and as a Director of Special Education at District of Columbia Public Schools.
A former struggling teen himself, Joshua deeply understands what they are going through. He inspires teens to courageously face the challenges in front of them, build their self-confidence, and look toward the future with a sense of possibility. He also teaches parents, teachers, and other caring adults how best to support them through the often rocky teenage years.
With students, he addresses topics such as mental health, risky behavior, and making healthy choices.
With educators, administrators, and paraprofessionals, he addresses topics such as maintaining strong relationships, helping them avoid risky behavior, and managing tech in a healthy, positive way.
Joshua holds a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and is a Nationally Certified Counselor. He has been featured as a Life Coach on the Style Network and is the co-creator with Josh Shipp of the One Caring Adult online community.
SPEAKING TOPICS:
Using the inner struggles of superheroes as a conversation starter, Joshua discusses student mental health in a direct, powerful, and often humorous way your students will deeply relate to, which will challenge them and keep them talking about days to come.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understanding they are not alone and there are solutions to every problem.
- Knowing when, how, and who to ask for help.
- Practical tools to handle stress and strengthen mental well-being.
- Managing tech & social media in a healthy, positive way.
- When appropriate, a frank discussion about suicide and self-harm.
- Graduating from Mental Health to Mental Strength
STOP VAPING BEFORE IT BEGINS: Empowering Students with the Knowledge & Confidence to Say No
Vaping among teens has reached epidemic levels. Studies estimate roughly 20% of students vape regularly, but ask them directly, and they’ll tell you the real numbers are much higher. The time to act isn’t in high school—it’s now.
In this engaging, relatable, and research-backed talk, Joshua Wayne, MA, gives students the tools to think critically, resist peer pressure, and make healthy choices before addiction takes hold. Designed for grades 4-6 and adaptable for older students, this presentation meets them where they are—without scare tactics or lectures.
Using real talk, compelling facts, and practical strategies, Joshua helps students understand the truth about vaping, giving them the confidence to say no and take control of their health.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understand the Risks – How nicotine rewires the brain, leading to addiction and long-term health consequences.
- Think Critically – Debunk common vaping myths and see past the industry’s deceptive marketing.
- Resist Peer Pressure – Learn simple, effective ways to say no while still fitting in.
- Own Their Choices – Develop a strong sense of self to make informed, confident decisions.
Working with students can be extremely rewarding, but it can also be very demanding. Not only do we have to contend with their unprecedented anxiety and depression rates, tech addiction, and exposure to risk factors like vaping, weed, and fentanyl, but we must balance it with other personal and professional demands.
We may feel overwhelmed juggling various administrative tasks, meeting compliance deadlines, or adapting curricula for a wide range of students, all while trying to maintain the critical work/life balance needed to safeguard our own mental well-being.
This can become the perfect storm for burnout. It’s easy to overlook that sometimes the caretakers need caretaking, too!
In this presentation, Joshua will share resilience tools for educators and other youth-serving professionals to avoid burnout, build a positive organizational culture, and stay healthy and balanced as they continue to guide the next generation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Protocols to prioritize both mental and physical self-care.
- Tools to successfully meet students’ social and emotional needs without compromising their own.
- Strengthening positive organizational culture.
- Rekindling the passion and optimism that inspired them to work with students in the first place.
A former struggling teen himself who lacked self-confidence, purpose, and direction, Joshua overcame his challenges, in large part due to the support of One Caring Adult™, who came along at just the right time. Driven by a deep desire to pay it forward, Joshua pursued a Masters Degree in Counseling and has been working with youth from all backgrounds for the past 25+ years.
Using stories, practical advice, and wisdom gained from his decades of experience, Joshua will bring his trademark humourous yet authoritative style to share practical ways that your audience can truly be that One Caring Adult in a kid’s life.
Equal parts empathy, instruction, and inspiration, this unforgettable talk will move your audience to action.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- OWNERSHIP: Help students take ownership when they inevitably mess up.
- COMMUNICATION: Improve communication (on both sides) without nagging.
- TRUST: How to gain (or regain) the trust of even the most skeptical or oppositional students.
- CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS: Get the students you work with to open up about the challenges underneath their behavior.
Joshua Wayne is a certified presenter of the One Caring Adult™ message, a registered trademark of Josh Shipp.
