Quick LInks

SMART Level 2 Certified Trainers

SMART Level 1 Certified Facilitators Ontario

SMART Level 1 Certified Facilitators British Columbia

smartEducation (SMART) Certified Facilitators

SMART Level 2 Certified Trainers

Heidi Bornstein
Founder Mindfulness Everyday, Director SMART Ontario,
MBSR & SMART Facilitato
r, Mindful Movement & Yoga Teacher

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Aristotle

HEIDI BORNSTEIN is a Hatha yoga and meditation teacher, who received intensive training at the International Meditation Institute while living in India. She is a certified instructor in Hatha Yoga, Yoga Science, and Yoga Ed for Elementary Schools, High Schools, and For Working with Those At-Risk. She trained as an MBSR teacher under the direction of Roy Hintsa, MBSR Toronto, and Dr. Diane Reibel, the Director of the Stress Reduction Program at Jefferson University’s Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine. She participated in the 7-Day Professional Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Mind-Body Medicine under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Saki Santorelli. Heidi trained in Mindfulness for Kids at Risk with Vinnie Ferraro, Street Yoga training for Kids at Risk as well as smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) with Linda Wallace. 
Heidi is the co-creator (with Heather Elson) of the Yoda-Yoga Program for kids, a program specifically designed for use in the 20 minute DPA (Daily Physical Activity) in elementary schools. Heidi is the co-creator and teacher for The Mindful Edge® – Stress Reduction and Life Strategies for Teens program in high schools. Heidi is on the steering committee for Mindfulness Toronto. She has been teaching yoga and meditation in Toronto since 2002 and continues to support yoga, meditation, and mindfulness programs for children, youth, teens, and adults.


Stephen Chadwick
Founder Mindfulness Everyday, Educational Liaison,
MBSR & SMART Facilitato
r

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Henry B. Adams
Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. "The teacher is the heart of the educational system." Sidney Hook

The “stress” of education has been on academics and a full education is missing, one where a child develops socially and emotionally. 
Children are multi-faceted human beings. I believe that adults and youth need to become friends with themselves, accepting who they are and connecting with the wisdom that they have within already.  

STEPHEN CHADWICK is an MBSR teacher who received his training under the direction of Roy Hintsa and Dr. Diane Reibel the Director of The Stress Reduction Program at Jefferson University’s Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine. He received his certification as a Yoga Ed Instructor for High Schools, Working with Those At-Risk, Level II Curriculum Training of Mindful Schools, and trained in smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) with Linda Wallace. Steve is a teacher for The Mindful Edge® –Stress Reduction and Life Strategies for Teens program in high schools. He has twenty seven years experience as a public school teacher with the TDSB, specializing in working with Children with Special Needs and ESL.


SMART Level 1 Certified Facilitators Ontario


Andrea Leskowsky-Grupp, B.A., M.Ed.
SMART Facilitator

Andrea GruppAndrea Leskowsky-Grupp has been a devoted movement practitioner for over 20 years, and is a certified instructor of both classical and restorative yoga.  Her teachers include Jiwan Goyal of the Institute of Classical Yoga and Therapy; Pat Harada Linfoot and Scott Davis of Octopus Garden; and Andrea Peloso, a life-long student of Judith Hanson Lasater.  During a period of difficulty some time ago, Andrea took part in an eight-week mindfulness training that provoked keen awareness of how the mind influences the body and vice versa, as well as the long-term effects of trauma and chronic stress on a person’s relationship with themselves and others.  These experiences coalesced into an abiding interest in the connections between meditation, mindful movement, and self-healing.  Desiring to begin a wider conversation, Andrea recently pursued facilitator certifications in both SMART and the Mindfulness Ambassador Program, and is currently working with first responders to foster a culture of mindfulness-based stress-management and self-care.  Andrea is also a full-time college professor, and has taught courses on interpersonal theory, business writing, and wellness within several different programs.  She is deeply passionate about teaching, and is a strong advocate for universal access to higher education by vulnerable and under-served communities.   


Angela Scott, B.J., B.A., M.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher/Facilitator

Angela Scott has worked in private practice for 11 years as an existential therapist and life coach. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Journalism with a minor in Comparative Religion, and a Master’s in Education, with a focus on adult learning psychology. Her education and experience allow her to engage in conversations about meaning and purpose with people from a wide range of cultural and religious/non-religious backgrounds. In addition to her practice, she has worked as a college professor, and a learning consultant delivering cultural diversity and sensitivity training to police and other paramilitary groups. She was first introduced to formal meditation in 2011 when, after using all the counselling tools she had offered clients for years, these practices fell short when she experienced her own personal difficulties. Strategic and solutions-oriented by nature, she learned firsthand that sickness, death and loss come to us all regardless of our aptitude for problem solving. Angela credits a 10-day silent retreat, and the ensuing daily meditation practice that evolved from it, with saving her life. It wasn’t until 2016, that she began introducing the remarkably effective tools of mindfulness and meditation to her counselling and coaching practice. In 2017, Angela was proud to join the smartEducation and smartEveryday team as a certified teacher. Currently, Angela is in the process of launching Forest City Mindfulness, a London, Ontario based mindfulness studio which offers mindfulness classes, one-on-one mindfulness coaching, and weekly drop-in sits. In addition to Smart, she is pursuing an additional certification in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). She is so pleased to be able to take part in this most important and meaningful work. Never before have we needed mindfulness skills more than at this frenetic time in human history.

Angela Ventrice, B.A. B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher

ANGELA VENTRICE has been an Ontario certified educator with the York Region District School Board for over 28 years, with the last 19 years being in Guidance and Career Education. She is also an instructor with the Ontario School Counsellor’s Association where she teaches continuing education courses for certified teachers. Her experience includes a background in Special Education, as well as a Specialist in Guidance. Angela experienced the personal health benefits of mindfulness while she attended the Transpersonal Therapy Centre of Toronto in 2002, where she received and completed training in meditation, mindfulness and therapeutic practices. Since then, Angela has incorporated mindfulness into her daily life and it has been a key component of her self care. Angela is excited to promote mindfulness for teacher and student well being and has completed further trainings as a graduate of MBSR, and as an MBSR-T-Stressed Teens facilitator with Gina Biegal. She also participated in the SmartEducation program (SmartUBC and Mindfulness Everyday), most recently becoming a SMART instructor. She has facilitated numerous professional development workshops on mindfulness in the classroom, including "Mindfulness in the Guidance Office" at the Ontario School Counsellor's Association and "Ways to Wellness" at various elementary schools. As a teacher, Angela hears the growing concerns for more mindfulness education, especially from parents and professionals, that is needed for all ages. Angela has seen the positive results of mindfulness in the school community and is dedicated to bringing mindfulness to educators, children, youth and their families.


Arunas Antanaitis
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher/Facilitator

As a retired teacher with 30 years experience in the classroom, I have an understanding of the issues and challenges that educators and students have. I am committed to bringing mindfulness-based programs to school communities providing a foundation for school success initiatives

ARUNAS ANTANAITIS is the co-director of Mindful Solutions for Change, delivering mindfulness-based programs for educators, organizations and individuals. Arunas is certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Specialist and Transformative Mindfulness Methods Facilitator, trained at the University of Toronto Factor Inwentash School of Social Work. He is an associate facilitator with Mindfulness Everyday and the Director of the Centre for Compassion and Wisdom, an international non-profit organization facilitating mindfulness-based programs.


Carla Waites, OCT
SMART Facilitator / Associate Teacher, Certified Mindfulness in Schools Project .b Facilitator

CARLA WAITES, although retired after 30 years of teaching, considers herself to be a life-long educator and learner. Along with being a smartEducation facilitator she is also a certified Mindfulness in Schools .b Project teacher and has participated in numerous Mindfulness workshops, retreats and conferences at the U of Toronto, the Omega Institute and the Garrison Institute among others. 

The greatest satisfaction during the last several years of public school teaching was teaching Mindfulness practices to her students and colleagues. The joyfulness of the students was a continuing delight as they discovered for themselves the transformational benefits of Mindfulness.

Carla is passionate about nurturing educators by sharing Mindfulness practices and ideas with them. While it is important to focus on what is best for the students, Carla believes that it is equally as important to pay attention to and nurture the well being of our teachers. After all, their well being impacts directly on the students'.

Carol Arnott B.A. B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator, Certification in Applied Positive Psychology

"Taking care of yourself is the most powerful way to begin to take care of others."

CAROL ARNOTT is a retired educator with 30 years of experience working with children from kindergarten to Grade 8.  Her mindfulness journey started as a means to deal with the stress of work and life changes.  Upon seeing the personal benefits of mindfulness, Carol became certified in Mindful Schools and SMART in Education in order to support student and teacher well-being. Her interest in mindfulness also led her to earning a Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology. Carol believes that it is important for teachers to “put on their oxygen mask first” so that they themselves are prepared to guide their students towards being kinder, more compassionate and resilient citizens of the world.


Daphne Marsella, B.A. B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Daphne MarsellaDaphne has been educating secondary school students in Durham Region for the past 11 years, she is also a Holy Fire II Usui Reiki Master.  Prior to moving to Durham, Daphne taught Indigenous students in Canada’s Northwest Territories.  Daphne has always had a passion for working with at-risk youth and her work in an alternative high school continues to motivate her to guide all students in recognizing their inner wisdom and beauty.  Daphne began her own meditation and mindfulness practice about three years ago and almost immediately experienced the transformative power a regular practice has.  Daphne’s formal training in Mindfulness includes, MBSR online through Palouse Mindfulness, The Science of Happiness (Greater Good Science Centre, Berkeley University), The Way of the Shaman (basic workshop in core Shamanism), smartEducation (4 week summer intensive and 5 day intensive), and a True North Insight Retreat.  Daphne is incredibly grateful for the amazing journey she is currently on and appreciates all of the learning she continues to receive.  She is hopeful that the awakening she is experiencing will continue to have ripple effects throughout the world and is honoured to be a part of it.


Franca Battaglia, BA, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator and OCT

FRANCA BATTAGLIA has been in the field of Education for over 15 years. Her experience includes:  Career Education & Research; Lesson Planning; Employing Strategies to foster care, respect and integrity; and Coordinating Programs and Presentations with local community organizations (ie MADD Canada). Over the last year, she has enjoyed taking avocational courses and retreats in the field of Mindfulness studies, including Mindfulness in Education- Facilitator Foundational Training, MBSR 6-day Teacher Training Intensive, and a True North Insight Retreat. She participated in the smartEducation Renewal Program (smartUBC & Mindfulness Everyday) and is subsequently completing two Facilitator Certifications: Ontario SMART and MBSR Core.  
Franca's background also includes 3 years of chronic pain management, including yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and Mind-Based Pain Re-patterning.  She is grateful to have found a path that nurtures greater conscious awareness, acceptance and clarity, and is looking forward to sharing mindfulness resources and with the community.


Julia Neilson, BA, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself.”   - Hermann Hesse

JULIA NEILSON has dedicated over 20 years to elementary school students as a teacher with the Halton District School Board since 1990. She has worked with varying grade levels from Kindergarten to grade 8. Julia has completed numerous workshops and courses through Mindfulness Everyday and Mindful Schools, dedicated to bringing Mindfulness to education and youth. With five years of personal practice, Julia has learned the importance of mindfulness and the positive changes it can bring to the way we live our lives, how we feel about ourselves, and how we interact with others. I am inspired to help others learn how to incorporate mindfulness to live more consciously


Karen Davis
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

KAREN DAVIS is a dedicated educator with 30 years of experience working with children, teachers and parents. Karen recently retired to country living in her home in Muskoka. She is an instructor of smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques). Karen has been working to bring mindfulness into education by leading mindfulness workshops and retreats with educators, parents and community members. She in on the board of Discover Mindfulness and believes it to be a strong support for mindfulness in education. Karen believes that teacher wellness and self care need to be consciously nurtured in the education system in order to equip teachers with the awareness, inner strength and resilience to provide high quality social, emotional and instructional supports to their students. As a mindfulness educator, she is dedicated to building a compassionate and caring school system for educators, students and their families.


Lois Lorimer Nunn, B.Ed., M.Ed.
SMART Faclitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

LOIS LORIMER NUNN is a retired teacher-librarian who taught for over 25 years with the Toronto District School Board at R. H. King Academy where she promoted and supported the Mindful Minute and Mindfulness curriculum for students. She received a SmartEducation certificate from the U.B.C. program developed to introduce stress management and resilience for teachers.  As part of her Master of Education degree at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Lois studied with John P. Miller, learning the importance of mindfulness and meditation practice in the classroom and for teacher self-care.  Her MBSR training was with Dianna Last. Lois has received training in the
Learning to Breathe Curriculum with Patricia C. Broderick.. In 2015, she was awarded a TDSB Award of Excellence for her work in mental health literacy, and mindful library initiatives. Lois is an experienced educator who has delivered workshops to teachers, parents and students and has observed the benefits of mindfulness for the school community.   


Natalia Fister, B.English, B.Education
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator / Hatha Yoga Teacher

NataliaFisterNATALIA FISTER is a retired high school teacher, with 30 years experience, and Hatha Yoga since 2002. Natalia has studied yoga and meditation locally and internationally, travelling to India several times, Kripalu in Massachusetts to continue her yoga teacher training, Nosara, Costa Rica and  Lake Atitlan Guatemala to attend yoga retreats, and most recently, to Vallecitos, New Mexico to attend a 5 day silent retreat for educators. Natalia pioneered a credited yoga and mindfulness course in high school for the York Region District School Board (YRDSB). She currently teaches a grade 11/IDC3O “Mindful Yoga and the Art of Happiness” course and a grade 12/IDC4U “Mindful Yoga and the Philosophy of Wellness” course. She is a certified facilitator for SMART: Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques. She has facilitated numerous professional development workshops for educators on mindfulness in the classroom, including the annual “Bridging Hearts and Minds” conference on Mindfulness for Educators and Health Care Providers in San Diego. She embeds mindfulness practices not only in her yoga course but all her English courses. She is committed to sharing the benefits of mindfulness and yoga to students and teachers alike in the conviction that it will transform their lives as much as it has hers.


Maryclaire Ordorico B.A. B.Ed

SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is not education at all." - Aristotle

MARYCLAIRE ODORICO is a high school teacher with over 25 years experience in education, working with students in areas of English, Italian, History and Drama studies, and working with staff in professional development. In the last decade, her research and practices have extended to areas of mental health and the importance of self-care. As an educational professional and certified SMART facilitator she is inspired to support teachers often the first line of defense for students, to learn and practice mindfulness for their own wellbeing, and to recognize the impact students’ mental health can have on learning and achievement. She welcomes that mental health and mindfulness awareness is finally becoming an important part of a school’s function and curriculum and is committed to making it an integral part of learning and practice for both staff and students.


Sara Escott MEd, BFA, MBSR, SMART
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

Sara has been facilitator and educator for over 15 years. She is the co-director of In Forma Theatre, a community-based arts and education company in Toronto. Her work is grounded in the theory and practice of community-based transformation and peace-building. She facilitates mindfulness programs to adults, youth and children. Sara has a Masters in Adult Education and Community Development (OISE/UT), and an Honours BFA in Theatre Directing (York University). Sara is a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Instructor (Centre for Mindfulness Studies & Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto) and SMART Education Instructor.


Sharon Babineau
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

SHARON BABINEAU is a decorated military soldier (retired). She is a Corporate Wellness Facilitator, Keynote Speaker/Author/ & Mindfulness SpecialistSharon is an instructor with the University of Toronto – Continuing Education in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certification Program. She is the co-founder of Mindful Solutions for Change and presents workshops and keynotes on  wellness, health and safety and work-life balance at conferences organizationsand health care providers across Canada. She is certified at University of Toronto (Factor-Inwentash) as an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Specialist and facilitator in Transformative Mindfulness Methods and with Mindfulness Without Borders. Sharon also presents to elementary and high schools on leadership and overcoming adversity. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Sharon is the founder of Maddie’s Everlasting Wish, a not-for-profit started in her daughter memory and has been recognized for the charity work she has done at home and in Africa and is the recipient of many awards including – Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and YWCA Women of Distinction 2013.


Shawna Watson, BA, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

"We as human beings have this amazing capacity to be reborn at breakfast every day and say: this is a new day...who will I be?" Jack Kornfield

SHAWNA WATSON  has been teaching in the Toronto District School Board for 15 years. Early in her teaching career, Shawna discovered mindfulness as a way to manage the many demands of the work. Shawna spent her recent sabbatical creating art, writing, travelling, and furthering her mindfulness practice through courses, conferences and retreats. A long-time volunteer with community mindfulness groups, Shawna is on the Discover Mindfulness Steering Committee where she coordinates and facilitates Days of Mindfulness for educators. She is a facilitator in the mindfulness-based smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) program for educators. She has also trained in Learning to Breathe (a mindfulness curriculum for adolescents) and teaches the program to grade 7 and 8 students at her school. She is currently training to be a facilitator in the Stressed Teens curriculum. 


Susan Meech
SMART Facilitator/Associate Mindfulness Teacher

It is a privilege for me to introduce people to mindfulness, knowing that mindfulness lets us see the world and ourselves with greater clarity and compassion.

SUSAN MEECH received her training in smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) from Linda Wallace; her MBSR training from Kate Kitchen, Kirstin Bindseil, and Dr. Steven Selchen at the Mt. Sinai Psychotherapy Institute, Toronto; and her training in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy from Dr. Zindel Segal, Dr. Pat Rockman, and Dr. Darren Higgins. She participated in the 7-Day Professional Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Mind-Body Medicine under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr Saki Santorelli. Her earlier training in mind body medicine was with Dr. Herbert Benson and his colleagues from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Boston, MA, and her professional coach training was with Adler International Learning, Toronto. Susan uses mindfulness in her work with coaching clients who are making changes in their lives. Her varied experiences as an educator, lawyer, and policy analyst contribute to her understanding of some of the work environments and issues facing her clients. Susan is on the steering committee of Mindfulness Toronto and founded the Mindful Leaders-Mindful Workplace special interest group.


Theresa Meikle B.A., B. Ed., M. A. (T), OCT
SMART Facilitator/Associate Mindfulness Teacher

““Life only unfolds in moments. The healing power of mindfulness lies in living each of those moments as fully as we can, accepting it as it is as we open to what comes next—in the next moment of now.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

THERESA MEIKLE has played diverse roles in education for over 30 years.  Her experiences include:  school administrator, Educational Officer (Ministry of Education, Ontario), curriculum consultant, facilitator, instructional coach and secondary school teacher.  Her experience working with adults and students has provided her with many opportunities for learning, both personally and professionally.  As an English and Dramatic Arts Head Teacher she fostered communities of inclusion, caring, trust and collaboration using many Tribes, Drama and Team Building activities.  As a facilitator of adult learning she continues to support teacher and administrator learning in the areas of literacy, assessment and inclusive classroom management.  In addition, she has formally trained in Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Schools. 


Tiina Krabi, , B.A., M.Ed. 

What is a life?  It is the flash of a firefly in the night.  It is the breath of a Buffalo in the wintertime.  It is the shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. ~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot Orator, 1899

Tiina KrabiTiina Krabi has worked for over 25 years as a secondary school teacher and guidance counsellor with the York District School Board.  She is a Stress Management and Resiliency Technique (SMART) facilitator, Registered Yoga Teacher and earned her B.A. and M.Ed.at the University of Toronto.  Her favourite place to practice mindfulness and yoga is at the cottage on Minden Lake with her family, friends and Golden Retriever. 


Triti Namiranian BA, B.Ed., RYT 200
SMART Facilitator / Associate Teacher

Triti NamiranianTRITI NAMIRANIAN is a mindfulness and yoga practitioner. She has also been an educator with the Toronto District School Board for 12 years. She discovered Mindfulness when she was at a crossroads in her life and the practice helped her, and continues to help her navigate life’s challenges. After this initial introduction Triti continued her commitment to the practice by taking MBSR, and different workshops regarding Mindfulness in Education which led her to take smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques). Triti simultaneously began to fall in love with Yoga, which has become a passion of hers. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2018 at Octopus Garden Holistic Yoga Center in Toronto, she has also completed Trauma Informed Yoga Training with Sarah Kinsley, and Mindful Education Teacher Training with Daniel Rechtschaffen. Most recently, Triti has had the privilege to teach Mindfulness at her school to all the grades from Kindergarten to grade 8, and be the lead on raising awareness of children’s mental health. She has realized that an important part of integrating Mindfulness into schools was through supporting and connecting with other educators, which ultimately would benefit students as well. This in part led her to become a SMART facilitator, start a Mindful Teacher Support Group, and to continue to be a member of the Discover Mindfulness Steering Committee where she helps facilitate days of Mindfulness.


SMART Level 1 Certified Facilitators British Columbia

Dr. Ameeta Dudani, PhD, C.Psych, RYT-200
Clinical and School Psychologist (Supervised Practice) 
SMART Facilitator / Teacher​/practitioner​ of mindfulness meditation & yoga

Ameeta Dudani"When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you." (Lao Tzu)

DR. AMEETA DUDANI is a Clinical Psychologist (Supervised Practice) as well as a teacher/practitioner of yoga and mindfulness meditation. Born in India, Ameeta was introduced at a young age to yoga as a form of meditation. Ameeta experienced significant transformation after taking an 8-week course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction several years ago, after which she realized that mindfulness has the immense potential to heal and cultivate peace in the world. Ameeta completed her yoga teacher training in 2015 at Moksana Yoga Center in Victoria BC, and through her teachers, she understood that all yoga is a practice in mindfulness and both are a way of life. Since then, she has committed herself to developing her own regular practice in mindfulness and yoga, and solicited further training and mentorship in teaching this to others. She has taken further training in Mindfulness and Yoga for Anxiety and Depression, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga, and SMART education.  Ameeta has worked in several GTA school boards and, in her most recent position as school psychologist at the YCDSB, she also delivered several workshops and trainings in mindfulness to teachers and professional support staff. Currently, Ameeta works as a psychologist in private practice, where she provides therapeutic groups and mindfulness-based psychotherapy to children, teens and adults. She also facilitates the SMART group for educators and delivers mindfulness training to schools, parents, and mental health professionals. She holds a semi-annual weekend Mindful living retreat for educators and mental health practitioners. She also teaches hatha yoga and meditation classes in her community of Markham.  Ameeta is passionate about learning and continued personal and professional development. She practices from a strengths-based, trauma-informed and social justice framework.  Her mission is to make mindfulness accessible and help others cultivate mindfulness in their lives in a sustainable and authentic way. 


Kristin Wiens

KRSITN WIENS (@kwiens62) is an Inclusion Coach for the Sooke School District (#62) located on Southern Vancouver Island. She supports Integration Support teachers and classroom teachers from Kindergarten to grade 12. She facilitates workshops on a variety of topics including self-regulation, inclusion, mindfulness and visuals. 
Kristin also works with the Raffi Foundation educating others about the Child Honouring philosophy. Learn more about Child Honouring: raffifoundation.org.  
Kristin has worked as a Child and Family Counsellor, Life Skills teacher, Integration Support teacher and Curriculum Coordinator. Kristin is author/illustrator of the children's book My Gratitude Jar and creator of Long Story Shortz educational videos and graphics. You can find her videos and graphics at northstarpaths.com


Rena Chadwick B.A. B.Ed
SMART Faclitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders - Lao Tzu

Rena ChadwickRENA CHADWICK is a music educator with the Peel District School Board. Since 2010, she has taught various subjects to students ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and holds three years of international teaching experience. After realizing the holistic benefits of yoga, Rena began practicing in 2012. In 2015, she immersed herself in a regular mindfulness practice and obtained the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certificate at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies. Since then, she has completed various courses through the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, such as MBSR, and has received training in areas such as Trauma Informed Yoga. She also participated in the SmartEducation program (smartUBC and Mindfulness Everyday), most recently becoming a certified SMART instructor. Rena remains an active volunteer in academic and community settings, focused on helping youth and colleagues maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit by integrating the practice of yoga and mindfulness into their daily lives.


Tyler Van Beers B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., RCC

Tyler has a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from UBC and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. He works as a School and Family Consultant for School District 73 Kamloops-Thompson in BC. He has been supporting teacher well being through smartEduction and offering workshops on positive psychology and emotional awareness to help teachers cultivate presence with their students. He supports teachers in learning how to implement Social Emotional Learning Programs to elementary and secondary students. He has been trained in the Mindful School Curriculum and has been supporting teachers with implementing MindUP. He has continued to deepen his mindfulness practice by participating in courses like The Power of Awareness Course, Body and Mind are One, Abiding in Mindfulness Course, Living With Vulnerability Course, and Walking the Walk Course. TYLER VAN BEERS School & Family Consultant School District No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) CONNECTING STUDENTS TO THEIR FUTURE Tel: 250-376-2266 Cel: 778-220-7473 tvanbeers@sd73.bc.ca


Victoria Scott

VICKI SCOTT has been an educator in the British Columbia Interior for over 20 years. Discovering mindfulness and meditation has allowed her to find her most effective self, both professionally and personally, and allows her to live her best life. Vicki is trained in Special Education and works to support students with academic and social-emotional needs in the school setting, with a focus on trauma-sensitive teaching and resiliency development. Trained in SMART Education in 2017, Vicki now delivers mindfulness and meditation workshops to teachers and other educational professionals in the Kamloops/Thompson School District. She also works with individuals and small groups, coaching and supporting people with what arises as they develop their own personal meditation practices. Vicki believes fully that creating space through stillness allows our true knowings to arise, helping us to clarify our purpose, and live well. Her mission is to share how finding stillness through mindfulness and meditation can positively impact one’s personal and professional life.