Charles Colten-Director

Charles Colten’s experience in the field of education spans more than three decades and crosses four continents. He’s worked with children and youth in schools (public, private, and international), and regularly teaches seminars and workshops for adults in academic and professional settings. He has served as a classroom teacher, school administrator, outdoor educator, exchange-program trip leader, coach, public speaker, and educational entrepreneur.

Colten has earned a Doctorate in Education with a focus on Professional Development, a Masters in Educational Leadership, is a Wilderness EMT, and a 6th degree black belt in Aikido.

He is currently the Director of the Confluence Institute for Research, Communication, Leadership, and Education, and the Founder/Chief Instructor of Aikido in the Schools. In addition to his work as an Educational Consultant and an Aikido teacher, Charles is a faculty member at the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution, the NY State Judicial Institute, and the Qi Center.

In these capacities, Colten has designed and delivered programs, informed by neuroscience research and positive psychology, and he currently teaches Leadership and Social and Emotional Learning through Aikido, Qi Gong, Tai chi, Embodied Mindfulness, Public Speaking, and Public Listening.

Over the years, Charles has created several successful businesses and program offerings including Aikido in the Schools, Spanish for Medical Professionals, Zante Communications Consulting, and The Confluence Institute for Research, Communication, Leadership, and Education (CIRCLE).

His work is deeply informed by the currents and flows of the living world, Permaculture Design, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Aiki Principles and Practices. He currently lives on the unceded land of the Wabanaki people with his wife and daughter.