Tara (she, her, hers) is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Dallas, Texas, and the mom of two little ones. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, she has lived and worked in Chicago, IL, Chulucanas, Peru, and Honolulu, HI. Tara has experience within a variety of non-profit settings, with her most recent work focusing on the integration of mental health and education in school systems and classrooms. Tara partners with school leaders and teachers to support learning around well-being, social emotional learning, and trauma healing. In the past Tara has worked with families in long-term case management, refugee resettlement, and supporting re-entry for women leaving the prison system. Tara aims to support schools to become places where all students and adults can show up as their full selves, be valued for who they are, and experience social, emotional, and mental wellness.
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Dr. Carey Borkoski is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University where she holds a joint faculty appointment with the School of Education and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Within the School of Education, she teaches in the online EdD program. Her research focuses on understanding relevant learning theory and empirical evidence to inform the use of effective instructional strategies in order to build human capital. Her work explores the role of communities of practice in building and strengthening relationships among faculty interested in improving their teaching, and the extent to which these online communities could increase the use of service-learning and other evidence-based pedagogies. Her research also investigates the benefits of service-learning for faculty, students, and the community.
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Vasa Buraphadeja serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Wellness for Educators. Vasa has served as a faculty of Business Information Systems, Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics, Assumption University of Thailand, since 2001. He is a member of academic committee, and a faculty trainer helping other faculty to integrate technology into teaching and learning. Vasa holds a doctoral degree in educational technology from University of Florida, a master's degree in computer information system form Assumption University, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Chulalongkorn University. His research interest revolves around meaningful learning with technology, computer-supported collaborative learning, community of inquiry, and professional development in Higher Education. He focuses on curriculum development, instructional design, online and blended learning, web programming (PHP, MySQL, Ajax), usability, CSS, social network analysis, and data mining.
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Nishant is a visual artist from Chennai, India, currently based in Maine. As someone who grew up practicing Yoga with his mother every morning as the sun came up, health and wellness has always been a way of life rather than an afterthought. With over a decade of experience crafting beautiful visuals for musicians and live performances from all over the world, he now creates work out of his studio in beautiful Midcoast Maine. Ginsu Media is a full fledged creative studio that he founded in India in 2015, with the idea of telling people’s stories in an honest and relatable way using video and animation.
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Kim is an educator with 22 years of experience working in education in various roles- as a tutor, mentor, Outdoor Educator, classroom teacher, Education Liaison, Foster Youth Services Coordinator, Trauma Informed Practices for Schools (TIPS) trainer, and, most recently, as a Senior Community Organizer at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. She's worked with a wide range of underserved children and young people (ages 3-24), as well as families, teachers, administrators, and other community partners. Additionally, she is a certified Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Coach, a student of Dr. Monica Sharma's Radical Transformational Leadership framework, and a developer of Educator Wellness trainings. A longtime yoga and meditation practitioner, she is involved with several other Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness efforts in her community. Kim is passionate about transforming schools into more healing-centered environments for at-promise students and the adults who serve them. Her internal values of love, justice, and wholeness are the cornerstone of how she approaches her work (and life).
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Vickie Echols is a certified coach and seasoned consultant engaged primarily in supporting educators. She has served as a teacher, campus administrator, and director of communication in schools for over three decades. Vickie has also worked closely with non-profit organizations to increase awareness of social emotional practices and the impact of a healthy organizational culture. While most of her life has played out in the Piney Woods of East Texas, a portion of her childhood unfolded in Bangladesh, on the continent of Asia. Vickie earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters degree from James Cook University in Australia. She is known for her ability to guide groups and individuals through a wide variety of topics. Her passion is supporting others to experience joy and justice on their journey.
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Dr. Aileen Fullchange (she/her/hers) is Licensed Psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She is Taiwanese-American and speaks Spanish and English. Dr. Fullchange has a background as a public school teacher and department chair in Oakland, CA, and an educational consultant for Title I schools nationwide. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and now resides in Dallas, TX where she works at the crossroads of psychological well-being, education, and equity as a clinician, assessor, supervisor, and workshop facilitator. She is the founder of Fullchange Therapy (www.drfullchange.com), which serves predominantly BIPOC families and community members. She specializes in healing from complex intergenerational trauma, is trained in somatic experiencing and trauma-sensitive yoga, and is passionate about building individual and collective resilience.
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Michael Garcia is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Tarleton State University. Michael specializes in the treatment of trauma in children, adolescents, and their families. He is trained in EMDR, TFCBT, and TBRI Practitioner counseling modalities. Michael has over 7 years of experience presenting to professionals and educators on wellness, trauma informed approach, and work/life balance. He has over 15 years of experience working in the juvenile justice system, education system, in-patient treatment, crisis response, and with victims of crime.
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Katherine received her Master’s Degree from Louisiana Health Science Center for Clinical Rehabilitation and Counseling. During her program, Katie completed her Internship at the LSUHSC Child and Family Counseling Clinic offering individual play therapy, group therapy, talk therapy, filial therapy, and parent consultation with children, adolescents, and families. She has presented at local, state, and international conferences on various topics including: Utilizing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and Play Therapy Techniques for Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom, Anxiety in Adolescents: Defining and Considering Interventions and Family System Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Katherine is currently a Lower School Counselor in Metairie working with grades PK3-3 rd . Katherine provides individual and group counseling to students for behavioral, social, and, emotional support, works with school staff on fostering social emotional learning in the classroom, and implements educational plans for students with accommodations. Katherine is passionate about researching social emotional resources to foster the individual childs’ growth.
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Milo is a graphic designer in beautiful Portland, Maine. After working as the reprographics manager of a print shop for three years, Milo went back to school to focus on their design skills, graduating in May 2011 with a Master of Arts in Graphic Design from the New England School of Art & Design. They currently work full time in the Office of Communications at the University of New England, and part time freelancing as Milo Grammer Creative. They love graphic design because it allows them to engage both sides of their brain—the creative and the analytical. They have dabbled in drawing, painting, bookmaking, sculpture, jewelry making, 3D modeling, motion graphics, and photography. Milo is a creative problem-solver who loves learning new creative techniques.
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Kate is currently a school counselor working with students in grades 5–8. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena College with a major in psychology and minor in sociology.
Kate received her Master of Science degree in school counseling from Western Connecticut State University. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC).
As a school counselor, Kate provides individual counseling and group counseling to students in grade 5-8 and delivers a counseling workshop to grade 8 students. As part of response teams, Kate has provided crisis management and guidance when dealing with traumatic events that impact students, faculty, and community. In her daily interactions with faculty, Kate offers leadership, team collaboration and communication. As a champion of youth, mental health, and social emotional learning, Kate focuses on building a positive school climate where all students can achieve academically, socially and emotionally. Kate lives in New Hampshire, where she and her husband are parents to two middle schoolers and a very friendly (but a little needy) golden retriever!
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Emily Hemmingson is a former classroom teacher and certified health coach with five years experience helping educators prevent and recover from burnout. She coaches with compassion, offering actionable steps for individuals and whole staffs to keep wellbeing at the foundation of a successful, sustainable, and energized school year. She roots her health coaching in a global context - acknowledging the systems in place that can cause burnout, and offering strategies to reconnect to your community, your joy for teaching, and a sense of peace in your body.
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Dr. Rebecca C. Itow is Principal of Indiana University High School and an adjunct professor in the IU School of Education. She earned her PhD in Learning Sciences from Indiana University, and was a public high school teacher for 15 years. As a teacher, Rebecca brought her passion for the arts into her classroom, and created a safe space for learners to be themselves as they navigated their academic journeys. She taught a range of courses and levels, served as AP department chair, and coached two award-winning Forensics and Mock Trial Teams. As a Learning Scientist, Rebecca researches and designs participatory approaches to professional development, focusing on contemporary assessment practices. These techniques help teachers adapt new pedagogical techniques that support connected, networked learning into their curricular designs. Rebecca also studies the implications of assessment practices in classrooms and open digital badge systems. As Principal, Rebecca uses her research expertise and her experience as a public high school English teacher to facilitate University and community partnerships that focus on innovating IU High School. Her interests outside of education include directing theatre, choreographing, aerial circus arts, origami, and glass blowing.
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Curtis has pursued martial arts since childhood and has focused on T’ai Chi and Qigong for over a decade. He has studied Qigong with Master Lisa O’Shea at the Qi Gong Institute of Rochester and Master Zhong Xuechao of the Wudang Dao Cultural Institute. He holds a first-degree black belt in American Freestyle Karate.
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Curtis has pursued martial arts since childhood and has focused on T’ai Chi and Qigong for over a decade. He has studied Qigong with Master Lisa O’Shea at the Qi Gong Institute of Rochester and Master Zhong Xuechao of the Wudang Dao Cultural Institute. He holds a first-degree black belt in American Freestyle Karate.
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Kathryn is founder and executive director for Wellness for Educators. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and Qigong have been — and continue to be — practices that bring her refuge, solace, peace, self inquiry, reflection, and exploration. She pursued teacher training in order to share these transformative practice with others and to live a life focused on more holistic, health, and wellness-centered approaches to living, being, and serving others. She completed her 500-hr Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) with ShivaShakti School of Yoga & Healing Arts, which includes but is not limited to Ayurveda, Yoga Nidra, pranayama, meditation, mantra, Bhakti, asana, chakras, alignment, modifications, applied anatomy and physiology. In addition to ShivaShakti, she has certifications in Kundalini Yoga (KRI-certified Level 1 ), Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga & Mindfulness, and trauma-informed yoga teacher training. She is pursuing Qigong training with her teacher, Master Lisa O’Shea. She is also the founder and principal consultant of Consult4ED Group, her education consulting firm.
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