Social emotional wellness and restorative justice in any organization - but especially within public school systems - is a basic need that determines joy, engagement and success. We offer opportunities for school communities to engage in this work.
This is the “why” of Soul Space.
We’re hopeful that if you’re here, you find yourself with community and resources that are helpful across professions, experiences, and identities.
about us
Hi there,
We’re Caiti and Hannah, two public school administrators from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
We love that you’re here - and we’d love even more to share our story with you all.
In August of 2021, the universe brought us together in the small public school district, Brooklyn Center Community Schools in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. This community is located within North Minneapolis and serves young people that hold a wide range of identities and lived experiences.
As you all might know and recognize, the post-pandemic world of education was (and continues to be) absolutely bonkers. As the school year began, it didn’t take long for young people to show us they needed more from us and more from school - environments and resources that would support their growth and skill building in non-traditional ways.
We also noticed that many of our community members - both adults and young people - were searching for ways to express themselves, engage in social emotional learning (and teaching!), and essentially be ready to engage with themselves and others at school. We also recognized that we, as school leaders, had a lot of growing to do in our own practice, too.
While we were navigating how to best support students and their needs each day, we were also tasked with teaching our community about restorative circles, restorative chats, and how to help others repair harm when caused. We started looking for resources - but ultimately were not satisfied with what we were finding.
We found research on why suspension and exclusion doesn’t work. We found research that supported the direct connection of suspension to the school to prison pipeline. We found books that explored the theories of restorative work in schools. We found boxed SEL curriculum that didn’t connect to the students we were serving. And in all that, we realized the bridge to application was completely and totally missing for us.
We recognized a huge gap in the teaching resources that existed for us to lean on and suggest to our colleagues.
We wanted more.
Our community deserved better.
And then, we created Soul Space - a platform for educational resources that provide teacher communities with lesson plans, tools, courses, and language that are relatable, accessible, and grounded in meaningful purpose. It is our collective responsibility to engage in this work for young people, especially young people who are part of BIPOC communities.
All wellness, all day -
Caiti + Hannah
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