Breaking the Silence with Dr Gregory Williams

Guest, Dr Joe and Dardi Hendershott​, Hope 4 the Wounded

https://www.hope4thewounded.org/

For Joe & Dardi Hendershott, Hope 4 The Wounded is not a career. It’s their passion. Their desire is to bring HOPE through social emotional practices and strategies for children as well as the professionals who invest in them daily.

Joe Hendershott is a sought-after speaker about the effects of trauma on learning, behaviors, & relationships & working with wounded students™.  His ongoing research, practical experiences as an educator, and his personal experiences as an adoptive father give him a unique perspective that is engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring. Joe has an extensive background working with at-risk and wounded youth as a teacher, coach, and administrator in traditional, alternative, and correctional education settings. He has been a high school assistant principal, head principal, alternative school principal, and principal at a residential facility as well as an administrator in higher education.

Joe was named the National Crystal Star award winner for 2015 through the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, which recognizes each year an individual who has contributed outstanding work in the area of dropout prevention and intervention. Additionally, Joe was named the recipient of the Professor Raymond W. Bixler Award at Ashland University, which recognizes excellence in education, and was a nominee for the Diversity Enhancement Award for the Leadership and Service Awards at Ashland University. He was invited to be the Grand Keynote speaker for the 30th Annual National Youth At-Risk Conference in 2019 and hosts a national conference, Hope 4 The Wounded--Connecting the Dots "4" Social Emotional Learning, in Columbus, Ohio.

Joe is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He holds a Master of Education in school administration and earned his Doctor of Education in leadership studies, both from Ashland University. 

In 2006, he co-founded Hope 4 The Wounded, LLC, with his wife, Dardi, Joe has been a keynote/featured presenter at international and national conferences. He has conducted staff training/professional development on understanding and working with wounded students™, the effects of trauma on learning and behavior, emotional literacy, leadership, empathy, esteem, inclusive communities, combating compassion fatigue, and other topics relevant to today’s educational climate across the United States and in Australia. Additionally, he has been providing multi-day training/consulting with school districts and communities to create a cultural change that benefits not only youth, but those who serve them. Joe has authored two books: Reaching the Wounded Student (Eye on Education, 2008) and 7 Ways to Transform the Lives of Wounded Students (Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2016). Joe & Dardi have co-authored  Supporting the Wounded Educator: A Trauma-Sensitive Approach to Self-Care,  due to be released in February, 2020 (Routledge/Taylor & Francis). 

Dardi Hendershott  is co-founder of Hope 4 The Wounded. Along with her administrative role, Dardi is a trained and formerly licensed foster/adoptive parent and is a huge advocate for professionals working with children of trauma. Her own experiences as an adoptive mother and years of walking alongside Joe through the trials and tribulations of teaching and education administration give her a unique perspective to the demands placed on professionals serving wounded children that she has shared at educational conferences, with faith-based audiences, and with education majors at universities. Her passion is to equip, empower, and encourage those in the trenches each and every day with HOPE.  Dardi is co-author of Supporting the Wounded Educator:  A Trauma-Sensitive Approach to Self-Care.

Joe and Dardi have nine children (6 girls and 3 boys), two sons-in-law, and their first two grandbabies are due to arrive in April and July of 2020!  They have been licensed as therapeutic foster parents. Aside from spending time with family and being their kids' biggest fans, Joe enjoys being outdoors, running, playing guitar, and also has a Black Belt through USA Karate, & Dardi enjoys traveling, DIY projects, and being outdoors.