Advanced Training of Champions (ATOC) by Akoben LLC

The Advanced Training of Champions (ATOC) is a deeply transformative professional development program offered by Akoben LLC, designed to equip educators, leaders, and practitioners with the advanced skills, mindset, and confidence required to lead restorative change in organizations and communities. This high-impact program blends hands-on learning with reflective practice, fostering a deeper understanding of relational leadership, restorative principles, and emotional navigation.

Leading Transformation Through Advanced Training of Champions

At the heart of Akoben’s mission is the belief that sustainable change begins with empowered Champions — individuals who can model restorative leadership and hold space for healthy relationships. The Advanced Training of Champions goes beyond introductory concepts, helping participants build competency in restorative implementation, community engagement, system thinking, and cultural relevance. Whether working within education, human services, or organizational leadership, graduates emerge ready to guide their teams through meaningful transformation geared toward equity, accountability, and trust.

This program is ideal for leaders seeking to deepen their ability in restorative practices, effectively shift organizational culture, and support others in navigating conflict, healing, and relational accountability. Participants engage with interactive exercises, real-world case studies, and peer-driven discussions that facilitate both personal and professional growth.

What You’ll Learn in the ATOC Program

Advanced Training of Champions focuses on developing restorative leadership through a blend of theory, skill building, and reflective tools:

• Core principles of restorative practices and community-centered leadership.

• Application of affect theory and emotional awareness to leadership contexts.

• Practice strategies for facilitating circles, dialogues, and restorative engagements.

• Tools for strengthening relational trust and accountability.

A unique feature of this advanced training is its integration of the Shame Compass — a powerful framework for understanding emotional responses and guiding compassionate engagement with both self and others when navigating conflict or challenging interactions. The Shame Compass encourages Champions to explore how emotional responses like withdrawal, avoidance, self-attack, and attack-other can either impede or support relational restoration when engaged skillfully.

Navigating Restorative Practices Questions With Confidence

Participants in ATOC are routinely encouraged to reflect on restorative practices questions that challenge not only what they know but how they lead. These questions are designed to expand inquiry into how restorative frameworks can be applied to daily interactions, systems change, and cultural transformation. Anchored in inquiry and reflection, restorative practices questions invite leaders to consider equity, belonging, responsibility, and shared accountability.

By engaging with these guiding questions, Champions develop greater clarity around where they hold influence, how they cultivate safety, and how they facilitate meaningful connection even in moments of tension.

The Power of Shame Compass in Leadership

A core component throughout the Advanced Training of Champions curriculum is the Shame Compass — a model originally grounded in affect theory that offers insight into how individuals react when they experience shame. Scholars and practitioners alike use this framework to facilitate meaning-making in moments of vulnerability or conflict. In the context of Akoben’s work, the Shame Compass helps Champions:

• Recognize patterns of emotional response in themselves and others.

• Interrupt unproductive reactions that block relational repair.

• Foster environments where empathy, accountability, and trust can flourish.

This focus on emotional intelligence as an actionable tool differentiates ATOC from more traditional leadership programs. It equips learners not only with process skills but also with the emotional literacy necessary to sustain restorative change.

Why Choose ATOC From Akoben LLC?

As a leading provider of relational, restorative, and cultural competency training, Akoben LLC has built a reputation for delivering professional programs grounded in research, real-world application, and relational transformation. Since its inception, Akoben’s approach has prioritized the complex interplay between individual behavior, systemic dynamics, and cultural power structures — equipping Champions with both the heart and the skills to lead with integrity.