RIAT

RIAT applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply now.

Whether you are seeking to deepen your AT practice as a commitment to your own self-care and well-being, or you would also like to learn how to share the gift of AT with others as an AmSAT-Certified Teacher, the RIAT training course welcomes you!

Please contact us at admissions@sapientiainitiative.org if you have questions or are interested in learning more about admission to our full-time and part-time training.

Teacher Training Course

The heart of the Sapientia Initiative, is our training course — the Riverside Initiative for the Alexander Technique (RIAT), founded by Nan Walsh and co-directed by Nan Walsh, Ariel Carson, Lori Schiff, and Caren Bayer. RIAT is dedicated to intensive personal study of the Technique in a group setting. It offers a high teacher student ratio (at least 1 to 5) and a path to teacher certification through the American Society for the Alexander Technique. Read More

RIAT currently runs 4 days/week.

Wednesdays 4pm-7:30pm
Thursdays 10am-1:30pm
Fridays 12pm-3:30pm
Saturdays 10am-1:30pm

Please view our calendar for more specifics regarding term start dates and breaks.

Why Become A Teacher?

The quality of support you give others is directly related to the quality of support you give yourself. Becoming an Alexander teacher depends on this fundamental truism. Read More

How To Apply

Applications for the Teacher Certification Program open every year on May 20th and are accepted on a rolling basis. RIAT operates on a trimester schedule from September through June, with a summer break.  We typically accept students to train in the Fall and Winter Terms, but exceptions are occasionally made for the Spring Term. Read More

Curriculum

Training at the Riverside Initiative is a complete preparation for becoming a professional teacher. The cultivation of one’s personal use is paramount in training. In the first year, trainees are guided through simple step-by-step processes that developmentally builds confidence and ability in using their hands to teach others. More complex hands-on skills are introduced as the training progresses in the second year; by the third year trainees give lessons under faculty supervision. Supervised lessons and community outreach hours offer an opportunity to benefit from the wisdom of experienced faculty members, while encountering some of the practical challenges and problems in teaching. Read More

Philosophy of Training

Riverside Initiative’s Teacher Certification Program is solidly grounded in the pedagogy of first generation teachers — Walter Carrington and Peggy Williams. We provide a clearly structured learning environment that includes room for creativity and experimentation. Read More

History

RIAT, and its Teacher Certification Program (TCP), was founded by Nan Walsh. RIAT emerged from the necessity for a new paradigm of Alexander Technique teacher training: one that values the Technique’s origins; is committed to preserving and moving forward its fundamental practices; and is dedicated to integrating alternative approaches to more traditional “top-down” teacher training. Read more.