Join us for REFRAME, a virtual Restorative Practices-based training for Teaching Artists working across all arts disciplines. Join our learning community as you design your own project-based, arts programming as a tool for healing and transformation among justice-connected individuals.

Teaching Artists will experience three modules: Art within the Circle, Art is Healing and Art in Community and will have the opportunity to design arts programming through the lens of restorative practices methodology alongside field experts Ricardo Medina and Luis Ruan.

Ricardo Medina has spent two decades as an educator teaching from the elementary to the college level, and is actively involved with schools and districts in the areas of curriculum and professional development, and innovative school design. Ricardo holds a Ph.dD. in Education and he is currently a professor of practice at the University of San Diego in SOLES (School of Leadership and Education Sciences), and has done extensive research focused on sacred purpose, positive youth development, Indigenous pedagogy, critical pedagogy, transformational healing frameworks, educator ideological clarity, and action research.

In addition to his work at the University of San Diego, he is a senior education consultant with the National Compadres Network, a member of the Human Relations Commission for the City of Chula Vista, a lead organizer with Circulo de Hombres, and actively involved with schools and districts in the areas of curriculum development, professional development of educators, and innovative school design.

Luis Ruan began working with incarcerated youth in 1985. Since then he has worked in various settings educating youth, families and the community on the negative consequences of violence, drugs and gangs. Luis trains communities, educators, law enforcement, counselors and others in redirecting youth violence. He has helped communities to create programs for gang involved youth or who are at a high-risk of becoming involved in gangs.

In 1990, Luis founded the Beyond Limits Program, which takes young people on challenging outdoor backpacking excursions, in order to instill a focused mind-set, life skills, and a renewed perspective of possibilities and healing. The program continues today to serve the needs of numerous high-risk marginalized youth. His book, Journey to the Mountain Within, captures Luis Ruan’s experiences and interactions with afflicted youth and marginalized communities. He is currently working on his first documentary, The Way of Healing.

This interactive training is designed for Teaching Artists working across the full spectrum of art forms including visual, performance, and media, and it will support Teaching Artists with methodologies for integrating Restorative Practices, trauma informed care and emotional literacy into their project design and implementation.

We will also feature the work of Teaching Artists and educators who have worked in justice-connected learning environments, share best practices, and learn how to apply principles of restorative practices into our hand-on lesson design modules.

Virtual Sessions will take place on Wednesday evenings from 3:30-5:00pm on the following dates: May 6, May 13, May 20, May 27, June 3, and June 10, with activities to work on between each meeting date.