ABOUT

Educator, author, and learning designer

Sydney Schaef, Ed.D., M.B.A., is an educator, designer, author, mom of two, and award-winning social entrepreneur dedicated to modernizing schools and workforce learning systems so that they serve as drivers of opportunity and excellence for all.

The founder of CBL Partners, Sydney provides coaching, design, speaking, and professional development services that help translate the research about learning and human development into practical guidance for parents, educators, and workforce leaders.

BOOK

Wired for Brilliance, coming soon.

A page-turning tour of your own brain—how you learn, how it shapes who you become, and what it means for the future of our schools, workplaces, and even our own backyards.

Chris Sturgis and Sydney Schaef offer a refreshing look at the leading research about learning, across the domains of cognition, emotion, and motivation.

Busy parents, board members, educators, and workforce learning leaders—this one's for you.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Speaking & Workshops

Sydney has presented at national conferences and has facilitated professional learning at K-12 schools, for company teams, and at nonprofit learning events.

She delivers impactful keynotes, professional development workshops, and engaging roundtable conversations with education stakeholders.

Let's Connect

CONSULTING SERVICES

Learning science made practical for K-12 and workforce learning.

Sydney offers tailored coaching, design, and professional development services to schools, nonprofits, and companies. She helps organizations brush up on the latest research on learning, and apply it methodically to their systems and practices.

She also helps innovative schools and organizations transition to competency-based learning models focused on clear learning outcomes, transparent growth reporting, and performance-based advancement and certification.

Schedule a Consultation

Sydney brings deep expertise in curriculum design, brain science, facilitation, accessibility, and youth engagement.

She combines adaptability with sharp systems thinking and has a critical ability to engage both youth and adults in meaningful ways that drive lasting impact. Her partnership has strengthened our work at every level.”

Ani Evancic

International Youth Foundation

“This has been an amazing experience. I can't express how grateful I am to have been able to spend this time with Sydney. She makes learning fun and inspires me to be a better trainer.”

Workshop Participant

United States Liability Insurance (USLI) University

Sydney's deep insights into personalized, competency-based learning and strong research background ensure that every element is tailored to the specific needs of the partner organization.

Stephanie DiStasio

South Carolina Department of Education

“This was a fantastic learning opportunity. I was very impressed with the pedagogy implemented by Dr. Sydney. It left me feeling very inspired to put this new knowledge into action in several spheres of my life.”