Turning Knowledge Into Learning

Woman stands and presents on stage in front of projector screen.

Monarch Balance for Life translates healthy-aging, movement, and fall-prevention evidence into educational experiences for students, clinicians, older adults, caregivers, and community organizations. Programs can be adapted to the audience, setting, and goals of the requesting partner.

Our educational work is grounded in current evidence, clinical relevance, accessibility, and respect for the lived experiences of older adults.

Who We Educate

Older Adults, Families, and Caregivers

Accessible talks and workshops that support healthy aging, safer mobility, confidence, participation, bone health, and informed conversations with healthcare professionals.

Clinicians and Healthcare Teams

Evidence-informed professional development for physical therapists and other clinicians who assess and treat mobility, balance, gait, cognition, and fall risk in older adults.

Students and Emerging Investigators

Mentored experiences in research design, data analysis, scientific writing, presentations, community engagement, and the translation of evidence into practice.

Community and Professional Organizations

Customized presentations, panels, workshops, demonstrations, and educational series developed in partnership with organizations serving older adults or the healthcare workforce.

Example Topics

Healthy Aging and Community Education

  • Understanding multidimensional fall risk
  • Taking the fear out of falling
  • How to get up safely after a fall
  • Safe falling and fall-recovery strategies
  • Supporting mobility and aging in place
  • Balance, cognition, and confidence
  • Bone health, osteoporosis, and movement
  • Physical activity and meaningful participation

Clinician and Professional Education

  • Evidence-based fall-risk screening and assessment
  • Clinical and laboratory measurement of gait
  • Common pathological gait patterns
  • Cognition-mobility relationships
  • Selecting outcome measures
  • Translating falls guidelines into practice
  • Data-informed, clinically tailored falls care
  • Research culture and scholarly inquiry

Available Formats

Focused presentations for community groups, healthcare organizations, professional associations, classrooms, or public programs.

Longer sessions that combine evidence, case application, discussion, practice, or demonstration.

Clinician-focused programming that may be developed with an approved continuing education provider when formal credit is requested.

Interdisciplinary discussions that bring together researchers, clinicians, community partners, older adults, and caregivers.

Hands-on learning related to movement, fall recovery, gait assessment, clinical measurement, or research methods.

Multi-session programming developed around the needs of a community, clinical, professional, or academic partner.

Student Education and Mentorship

Students may develop skills in:

  • Human-subject research and ethical research practice
  • Clinical, gait, balance, cognitive, and physical-function measurement
  • Data management, statistical analysis, and visualization
  • Scientific writing, abstracts, posters, and manuscripts
  • Grant development and interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Community education and evidence translation

Mentorship pathways may include:

  • Kinesiology and Rehabilitation PhD mentorship
  • DPT student research and scholarly projects
  • Undergraduate research experiences
  • Medical or other health-professions research collaboration
  • Conference and publication mentorship
  • Community-engaged and interprofessional learning

Examples of Recent Programming

Taking the Fear Out of Falling

Community education on fall risk, confidence, activity restriction, and practical strategies for maintaining participation.

 

How to Get Up After a Fall Safely

Demonstration-based education on planning for fall recovery and seeking appropriate assistance.

 

Healthy Aging Panels

Interdisciplinary conversations connecting research, clinical care, community resources, and older-adult priorities.

Gait and Fall Risk Education for Clinicians

Professional sessions on pathological gait, gait measurement, assessment selection, and the clinical application of falls evidence. We have recently presented educational sessions for the APTA Virginia Fall Summit, as well as the APTA Combined Sections Meeting.

Request a Program

Educational offerings are customized based on audience needs, faculty availability, format, location, and institutional requirements. Visit our Collaborate page to request a talk, workshop, continuing education program, panel, or consultation.