# Event Details - **Event Name**: Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 05 Aug, 2026 at 06:30 pm – Wed, 05 Aug, 2026 at 08:00 pm - **Event Description**: Don't miss this Kalamazoo-based opportunity to hear from renowned neurodiversity researcher and advocate and her important new book.About this EventRegistration is required to attend this bookstore event with Dr. Niki Elliot and learn more about her new book: Heart-Centered Connections: Seven Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children ThriveDr. Niki Elliott is a clinical professor and director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at the University of San Diego SOLES, where she leads research, professional certificates, and statewide initiatives that transform K–16 learning environments through trauma-informed, neuroinclusive design. A veteran educator of more than 30 years, Dr. Niki is known for translating complex neuroscience into powerful, accessible practices that strengthen belonging, emotional safety, and academic engagement for neurodiverse learners.A nationally sought-after keynote speaker, retreat facilitator, and trainer, Dr. Niki has supported thousands of administrators, educators, counselors, and helping professionals across the U.S. and 13 countries through her groundbreaking Heart-Centered Connections™ curriculum and the Embodied Inclusion 360™ Framework. Her trainings consistently lead to measurable improvements in school climate, reductions in suspensions for students of color, and increased professional well-being among educators.Dr. Elliott serves on the Board of Directors and teaching faculty of the Polyvagal Institute (PVI), where she co-developed innovative certificate programs for educators, counselors, and human-service professionals. Her work with PVI brings a polyvagal-informed lens to equity and inclusion, helping institutions understand how nervous-system regulation, implicit bias, and felt-safety shape human behavior and learning.A prolific writer and thought leader, Dr. Niki is the author of the forthcoming book series Heart-Centered Connections:7 Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive. She also wrote the influential book chapter “Cultivating Heart-Centered Connections: Using Mind-Body Awareness Practices to Help Adults Create Safe Spaces for Marginalized Youth” in Reconstructing Perceptions of Systemically Marginalized Groups. Her articles and frameworks continue to guide districts, colleges, and community organizations seeking holistic, science-grounded approaches to inclusion.Dr. Elliott holds a doctorate in Education from UCLA, along with certifications in yoga, secular mindfulness, and clinical breathwork. She brings a rare integration of academic rigor, embodied wisdom, and spiritual insight to her mission: helping leaders create learning and working environments where every nervous system feels safe, every learner feels seen, and every community can thrive.Dr. Niki a native of Southern California, where she resides with her husband and blended family of 6 children. A fun fact about Niki is that she sleeps with her passport in her hand, always ready for her next travel adventure. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/kalamazoo/dr-niki-elliott-presents-heart-centered-connections/100001989318756953 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, health-wellness, trips-adventures, science-fair - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes - Location: Bookbug & this is a bookstore - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 27.24, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Kalamazoo - **state**: MI - **country**: United States - **location**: Bookbug & this is a bookstore - **lat**: 42.2607843 - **long**: -85.61217719999999 - **full address**: Bookbug & this is a bookstore, 3019 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/420e0e09038afd9ed49dabc005f743a4a3119a7b88a7951f9ed717ab2dc4ddf9-rimg-w1200-h600-dc927658-gmir.jpg?v=1778681590 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections being held? - **A:** Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections takes place on Wed, 05 Aug, 2026 at 06:30 pm to Wed, 05 Aug, 2026 at 08:00 pm at Bookbug & this is a bookstore, 3019 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections? - **A:** Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections is organized by Bookbug / this is a bookstore. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Kalamazoo, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Dr. Niki Elliott Presents: Heart-Centered Connections", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/420e0e09038afd9ed49dabc005f743a4a3119a7b88a7951f9ed717ab2dc4ddf9-rimg-w1200-h600-dc927658-gmir.jpg?v=1778681590", "startDate": "2026-08-05", "endDate": "2026-08-05", "url": "https://allevents.in/kalamazoo/dr-niki-elliott-presents-heart-centered-connections/100001989318756953", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Bookbug & this is a bookstore", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "3019 Oakland Drive", "postalCode": "49008", "addressLocality": "Kalamazoo", "addressRegion": "MI", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "42.2607843", "longitude": "-85.61217719999999" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Don't miss this Kalamazoo-based opportunity to hear from renowned neurodiversity researcher and advocate and her important new book.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-07", "availabilityEnds": "2026-08-05", "validFrom": "2026-09-07", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "27.24", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/kalamazoo/dr-niki-elliott-presents-heart-centered-connections/100001989318756953" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/kalamazoo/dr-niki-elliott-presents-heart-centered-connections/100001989318756953", "price": 0, "name": "Registration" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/kalamazoo/dr-niki-elliott-presents-heart-centered-connections/100001989318756953", "price": "27.24", "name": "Registration + Copy of "Heart Centered Connections" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Bookbug this is a bookstore", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/bookbug-this-is-a-bookstore/17604387", "description": "Kalamazoo's premier independent bookstore spans two adjacent locations: Bookbug, focused entirely on children's books and \"this is a bookstore\" featuring adult interest titles, with focus on literary fiction, non fiction, contemporary politics, graphic novels and young adult fiction. 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