Author Description

Tumaini means “hope” in Swahili. The “Tumaini Way” Social and Emotional Learning curriculum is designed to provide middle and high school students with tools to thrive in college, career, and in life, while positively impacting their communities by challenging systems of oppression and injustice. Our curriculum cultivates engagement in the classroom and in students’ communities through interactive activities, and healing centered lessons that are facilitated using the restorative circle process, in which we call “Circle Up”. Innovative Mindfulness exercises ("Mindful Moments") and journal reflections ("Think in Ink"), provide students with opportunities to explore their sense of awareness, engage in deep reflection of their thoughts, behavior, and emotions, while developing CASEL's core Social and Emotional Learning competencies and the domains of the Positive Youth Development framework. These reflections and activities help to inform students growth in the classroom and community, preparing them to thrive as leaders and social and emotional learning ambassadors in our society.