welcome to
Healing Schools Project
Healed teachers heal students. We use an equity-centered approach to provide space and tools for educators and leaders to heal, connect, and cope.
Why Healing Schools?
The Problem
In January 2021, teachers experienced more frequent job-related stress than employed adults nationally. Forty percent of all employed adults reported experiencing frequent job-related stress, compared with 78 percent of teachers.
When schools invest in educator healing and well-being, teachers feel supported and stay. Teachers can therefore adequately support students and students continue to thrive!
Teacher Attrition
Educators are leaving the field at alarming rates due to burnout and stress.
Teacher of color burden
There are additional stressors for teachers of color and COVID and the racial events of 2020 have further compounded teacher stress and trauma. 50 percent of Black educators, planned to leave the field in the 2020-2021 school year.
Hurting Student Learning
Educator attrition has a negative impact on student learning and the bottom line for schools and school districts.
Learning loss
Schools cannot address learning loss if they do not prioritize teacher healing now.
Our Solution
What We Do
At Healing Schools Project we provide an equity-focused, healing centered solutions for teacher turnover issues. We bring together research and practice to address the problem at the root: shifting school culture and bringing healing to educators. Most recently our work was featured in Chalkbeat and CBS New York.
We partner with schools, districts, and networks with customized community care plans.
Healing Circles
community care
Professional Development
Leadership Innovation and planning
Healing Circles
Does your staff and educators need space and time to connect, unwind, and heal? A healing circle is a research-backed peer-to-peer mental health intervention rooted in Indigenous practices. Every third Thursday of the month we host a community healing circle!
Professional Development
Our signature offerings are focused on Building a Culture of Community
Care either for healing educators or healing students. Within a culture of community care, all feel cared for and valued.
Maximize & Sustain Your Impact
When leadership invests in educator healing and well-being — teachers feel supported and students thrive. We provide customizable and sustainable packages to administration looking to incorporate community care practices into policy and activities.
HEALING SCHOOLS
Our Partners
WHO ARE WE
OUR FOUNDER
Wenimo Okoya
Ed.D., MPH (she/her) – Former Teacher, Researcher-Practitioner
I’m a fierce advocate for building bridges between the health and education sectors. I started off my career as a classroom teacher in Newark, NJ and it was through my students that I learned that upward mobility for people of color can only be achieved by changing the way systems operate. While my experiences since leaving the classroom run wide and deep, my sweet spot linking research and practice to support schools, organizations, and individuals as they adopt anti-racist, healing-centered practices. I created Healing Schools Project because it was what I needed as a teacher and am humbled by the opportunity to build this work.
WHO ARE WE
OUR SUPPORT TEAM
Chantal Hoff
(she/her)
Research and Evaluation Lead
Ginelle Wynter
(she/her)
Content and Curriculum Lead
May Erouart
(she/her)
User Experience and Growth Lead
Lisbeth Guzman
(she/her)
Deputy Director
STAY CONNECTED
Receive timely, equity-centered resources delivered directly to your inbox for educators and leaders to heal, connect, and cope.
Our Work is Based On
RESEARCH
Words Shared With Us
This was exactly what I never knew I needed.
Healing Circle Attendee
[I like] the collective healing and sharing of experiences. I felt like I was where I belonged!
Healing Circle Attendee
I’ve never connected with my colleagues in this way.
Healing Circle Attendee
Join the Movement.
Our Supporters
Healing Schools Project is fiscally sponsored by Counseling in Schools, a registered 501(c)(3). Therefore all donations are tax-deductible.