“Replenish and Elevate Growth!”
A Monthly Restorative Practice Series
Designed by Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, MBA, M-MA, MA
Facilitated In Partnership with the Center for Schools and Communities (CSC)
Surviving to Thriving: Stress Management and Prevention
Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Explore effective strategies for managing stress and promoting long-term wellness for educators and youth service professionals. Learn practical tools for self-regulation, mindfulness, and creating supportive environments that foster resilience for themselves and the students and families they support.
Affirming Diverse Students and Families: Embracing Cultural Humility
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Learn the importance of cultural humility in supporting diverse students and families. Gain insights into how to build trust, create inclusive spaces, and honor the unique identities of students from various cultural backgrounds and low-income communities.
Intersectional Identities: Promoting Authenticity and Belonging
Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Explore the concept of intersectionality and its impact on youth development. Examine strategies for fostering environments where students can express their authentic selves and feel a strong sense of belonging, promoting inclusivity and belonging for diverse identities.
Meet our Restorative Practice Series Instructor
Rajni Shankar-Brown
PhD, MBA, M-MA, MA
Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown is a distinguished professor and chair of Social Justice Education at Stetson University, where she advocates for intersectional equity and housing justice. As the founder and executive director of the Institute for Catalyzing Equity, Justice, and Social Change, she has earned numerous accolades, including Stetson’s Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Hand Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievement.
A prolific author and community-engaged scholar, Dr. Shankar-Brown specializes in transformative systems change and sustainable educational practices that advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
With over three decades of advocacy, Dr. Shankar-Brown has held leadership roles across nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions. She has partnered with the United Nations, served as equity co-lead for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and was the first woman of color to serve as president of the National Coalition for the Homeless Board.
Her work has impacted communities globally, with a focus on ending poverty, homelessness, and creating a more inclusive world. She has published extensively, presented worldwide, and is known for her commitment to trauma-informed social change and community healing.
Purposeful Healing: Addressing and Preventing Vicarious Trauma
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Educators and youth service professionals often experience secondary trauma, particularly when working to support students and families experiencing trauma. Discover strategies for recognizing and preventing vicarious trauma and prioritizing well-being.
Poverty, Homelessness, and Endurance: Recognizing and Avoiding Burnout
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Address the unique challenges of working with low-income students and families, including students experiencing homelessness. Learn how to recognize signs of burnout and explore methods to build personal and professional endurance to support sustained and equitable engagement with diverse students, families, and communities.
Refuel: Addressing and Preventing Compassion Fatigue
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Dive into the causes of compassion fatigue, a common challenge for those working in youth services. Gain practical tips for self-care, boundary setting, and finding support networks to help prevent burnout and maintain compassion in their work.
Intentional Living: (Re)Creating Balance
Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Reflect on how to create a balanced, intentional life. Receive practical tools to support prioritizing self-care and cultivating mindfulness, empowering participants to educate and lead with intention.
Cultivating Strong Roots: Fostering Safety, Belonging, and Agency
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Explore how to build a foundation of safety and trust within educational and community settings, particularly for vulnerable students. Participants will learn how to foster environments that support students’ sense of belonging and agency, enabling them to thrive academically and socially-emotionally.
Deep Listening: Practicing Mindfulness and Radical Empathy
Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Together, we will discover the power of deep listening and how it can transform our work with students and families. By practicing mindfulness and radical empathy, we will learn to be more present, compassionate, empathetic, and effective in our interactions, promoting better understanding and connection.
Arts Integration: Creative Nourishment and Positive Youth Development
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
This session showcases the power of arts integration in fostering positive youth development. Learn how creative expression can enhance learning, build self-confidence, and provide social and emotional nourishment for students, as well as support trauma-informed practices and advance healing-centered engagement.
Building Bridges: Conflict Resolution Strategies in Schools and Communities
Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Discover practical approaches to conflict resolution, equipping you with tools to address disputes and create harmonious environments in schools and community spaces. Techniques for fostering communication, empathy, and collaboration will be emphasized to strengthen relationships.
Our Why: Vision, Mission, and Values
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Engage in reflective practice and discuss the importance of individual and collective vision, mission, and values. This session will illuminate the importance of aligning our daily practices with the deeper purpose that drives our work, creating more meaningful and impactful engagement with students and families.