There’s often a huge divide between theory and practice in the education world.

We know that Soul Shoppe’s success with people of all ages comes from the daily practice of our tools and skills to create joy and belonging in our community.

We use the same tools we teach our schools during our daily lives. At Soul Shoppe, it’s not uncommon to hear someone in the office say πI need to deliver an I-Message” when they have something to say or to begin an apology with “I have to clean something up with you.”

We start every meeting with a “Check-In,” a personal moment to share what’s on our hearts before diving into business. We’ve found this moment of connection to be critical to our community resilience and also exceedingly rare in our profit-driven, overworked world.

We end our meetings by acknowledging the contributions and unique gifts of everyone present.

Just like apologizing or speaking our needs with vulnerability, this practice empowers us to bring our whole selves to our work and world, continuing to bring connection and bridging the differences that divide us.

Read on to learn about our wonderful team.