6-Week Professional Training & Certification

Increase your impact by learning the strategies AND science of Executive Functions from BLANK and BLANK to Time Management and Organization.

Connected Pathways Academy helps ______ do ____ so they can ____

Become a certified Executive Function Foundations Coach and help more students.

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Explore the Full Course

X working Executive Function Coaches certified since 2024

Join our next cohort starting Jan. 14, 2027

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Join our next cohort starting Jan. 14, 2027 |

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Build your EF Coaching foundation

  • Executive function science • Brain Architecture • EF development • Foundational vs. Advanced EFs • Delay vs. divergence • Introduction to the Executive Function Interpretive Coaching Framework

  • Working Memory • Attention • Cognitive load • How changing the demand can change performance • Working Memory + Attention interplay

  • Cognitive Flexibility • Regulation • Switching and shift costs • Where inhibition fits within Regulation • Flexibility + Regulation interplay

  • Task Initiation • Motivation • Procrastination • Reward circuitry • What may look like procrastination but be something else • Try → Track → Tweak as part of the coach’s Detective Work

  • Time Management as the bridge to Advanced Executive Functions • Work backward from the visible challenge to the foundational EF demands underneath it

  • Brain Architecture + foundational EFs + EF Interplay • Integrated case study • Known vs. assumed • Choosing a reasonable first strategy and explaining why

Join Foundations

The EF Gap

Recently, I was giving a talk to a group of teachers and shared the example of a student who was struggling with writing.

When I asked what executive function might be getting in the way, Time Management was identified as the problem.

And it made sense. The student wasn't getting her writing completed within the expected amount of time.

But when we looked deeper, the picture changed.

The visible problem may have looked like Time Management, but there were foundational executive functions underneath it that were affecting her ability to get her thoughts onto paper.

That's an important distinction.

When we start with the visible problem and move immediately to a strategy, we can miss what's actually creating the difficulty.

What looks like a Time Management problem may not begin with Time Management.

Executive Function Foundations teaches you to look underneath the challenge—to understand the foundational executive functions, Brain Architecture, and interplay that may be contributing to what you're seeing.

Because before we decide what to do, we need to understand what we're actually looking at.

You Know the Executive Function. But Do You Know What's Underneath It?

Changes Coming to the August 2026 Mastering Executive Function Cohort

Executive Function Interpretive Coaching Framework

The Executive Function Interpretive Coaching Framework is now woven throughout every module, giving you a cohesive, five-block model for understanding and coaching executive function from brain architecture through coherent integration.

Prefrontal Power-Up Cards and Sidekick Workbook

Prefrontal Power-Up Cards (Frontal Skill Scan Included) and Sidekick Workbook woven directly into course modules, not just bonus materials. You'll use them as you learn, then carry them into your everyday work with students and clients. Registering through July 31st? You'll receive the digital version, with the option to upgrade to physical. Registering August 1st onward? Physical cards and workbook are included.

ICF Continuing Education Hours

International Coaching Federation (ICF) Continuing Education Hours—30 hours of professional development credit, formally tracked and documented.

Register Now

The Connected Pathways Academy Community

The Connected Pathways Academy Community A place to get support, share tools and research with peers, and grow together. Monthly community sessions cover topics like "Tough Conversations," plus sessions built around what you actually want to talk about.

You’re ready to empower your students, BUT you’re missing the critical info and tools you need to expand your expertise.

Connected Pathways Academy was designed to equip you to…

Expert Knowledge

Acquire specialized knowledge and techniques in executive function that go beyond traditional teaching and coaching methods. This allows you to offer more comprehensive support to your students.

  • But you can set yourself apart with our specialized training in Executive Function that only a select few possess. You will possess the proper training and proficiency to feel self-assured in comprehending executive function and supporting your students with effective tools and strategies.

Expand Student Base

Equip yourself to work with a diverse array of students, including those with ADHD, learning disabilities, or other executive function challenges. This diversification can increase your client base and income potential.

  • By developing expertise in these areas, you can tailor your support to meet the specific needs of each student, offering targeted strategies and interventions that address their unique difficulties. This specialization not only broadens your ability to assist various student populations but also enhances your appeal to a wider client base. As a result, you can attract more clients seeking expert guidance, leading to increased opportunities and potentially higher income in your practice.

Career Advantage

Stand out in the competitive field of education and coaching with a specialized credential. This distinction can lead to more referrals, higher rates, and greater professional recognition.

  • This advanced qualification sets you apart from others in the industry, showcasing your expertise and commitment to addressing complex student needs. As a result, you will be more likely to receive referrals from clients, peers, and educational institutions who recognize your advanced skills. This distinction also allows you to justify higher service rates due to your specialized knowledge and enhances your professional reputation, leading to greater recognition and opportunities for career advancement.

What are the Executive Functions?

Executive Function

  • Defines EF (Executive Function) and delves into the crucial brain science behind it. By grasping EF, you'll be equipped with research-based materials to support your students effectively. For instance, you'll learn that there is no inherent connection between EF and intelligence. This understanding allows you to tailor your approach when working with a student who may have an above-average IQ but experiences a 3-year delay in EF skills. 

Time Management

  • Emphasizes both the practical management and perceptual aspects of time. By addressing the perception of time, we aim to enable students to grasp the passage of time before imparting essential time management skills.

Organization

  • Concentrates on equipping educators with strategies to assist students in achieving Cognitive Organization, encompassing thought processes, spatial arrangement, time management, task decomposition, and writing skills. It also covers Digital Organization, encompassing email management, assignment tracking, and password management, as well as Physical Organization, which extends to organizing spaces such as bedrooms, lockers, backpacks, and desks.

Task Initiation

  • Will explore the intricate connection between task initiation in executive functions and its influence on motivation and procrastination, as these factors frequently interplay.

Flexibility

  • You'll gain insights into the development of flexibility and discover alternative techniques to approach challenges faced by students struggling in this area. For instance, when crafting an after-school schedule for a student with flexibility challenges, your approach may differ.

Metacognition

  • Offers a deeper understanding of how metacognition influences our students and its significance in the learning process. This knowledge enables you to ask the right questions when working with a student.

Self Regulation

  • Will center on emotional regulation and response inhibition, addressing how individuals manage their emotions in response to stressors and how these reactions manifest. Additionally, it will provide guidance on helping students recognize their physiological responses and navigate their emotional experiences effectively.

Working Memory

  • This module highlights that working memory is the top predictor of academic success. You'll also distinguish working memory from other memory types and comprehend its impact on students, both at home and school. This knowledge equips you to select the appropriate tools when a student faces difficulties in remembering the steps of their morning routine.

Planning

  • This module will delve into the utilization of advanced executive functions to enhance foundational EFs. This module will also provide guidance in helping students plan their daily activities, manage assignments, handle long-term projects, and optimize their study routines.

Perfectionism

  • We will dive into the nuances of perfectionism, exploring its various types, the underlying science, and its correlation with Executive Function. This discussion is vital as it sheds light on common challenges faced by students when they encounter obstacles. Join us as we navigate this important topic together.

Here’s what other pros have to say about how Connected Pathways Academy has impacted their work:

  • “Crista Hopp’s Executive Function Specialist class has so many strategies and tools to enable coaches, teachers, and parents to more effectively empower students. I was a teacher for 31 years and wish I had taken her course much sooner.”

    Gena

  • “The Executive Function Course from Connected Pathways Coaching has more than met my needs. Each module includes information about a particular executive function, including the brain science piece in a way that can be understood by a layman, as well as strategies and techniques that can be used to support clients who have executive function deficits. Additionally, each module has at least one activity to demonstrate how that particular executive function works. I have already used some of these activities with my clients to gain more insight into their challenges.”

    Annette

  • “This course has been an invaluable resource to me as a coach working with students, adults, and even with family, to include a post-stroke senior. It’s an abundance of researched-based information. The course breaks down executive functions in great detail, encompassing expected development and how deficits manifest. It includes strategies and tools to help assess and build skills. It has given me and my clients knowledge and insight to help move them forward”

    Maria

  • I am just finding more and more applications of what I’ve learned as I am working with kids on academic support. For example, I was tutoring a girl in Math, either her working memory or struggle to focus make it hard for her to work through multi step problems. So we did up a little check list to follow for the types of problems we were working on. I have another student who will benefit from some metacognitive questioning on his writing assignments for English, as well as chunking the assignments. Being able to sneak in some executive function strategies while tutoring, has been fantastic and makes the tutoring more effective.

    Natalia

  • Completing this module has felt like sharpening a dulled EF pencil in my toolkit, as previous learning in this area focused heavily on theoretical knowledge and provided few practical strategies. I look forward to implementing the strategies introduced during this module and pursuing further training with Crista in the future.

    Antiboring Lab Participant

Here are some of the things holding you back (from becoming the expert educator you want to be):

  • Our course is delivered through concise videos, presenting information in a clear and easily comprehensible manner.

  • Becoming proficient in the content doesn’t necessarily translate to knowing how to APPLY it effectively with students. With our course, you not only gain valuable learning content, but also access activities that you can readily apply with your students, ensuring that the knowledge is put to immediate use.


  • We understand your time is valuable. Our course has been created so that you have lifetime access so if you cannot finish the course with your cohort, you can work at your own pace.

  • In addition to video content, you’ll engage in hands-on activities and live sessions that feature team breakout sessions for practical application, all while having access to a supportive community.

  • EF is not only important to academics but also in other life areas. Did you know that “EF is an individual’s most valuable asset”? Read it here And don’t be afraid to forward it to your supervisor ; ). Promote the significance of executive function (EF) training within educational and coaching organizations. Share the advantages and advocate for institutional recognition and support of this professional development.