Faculty

Stephanie Cariaga (she/her)
Hybrid Lead Faculty

CrEW for Educators will be led by Dr. Stephanie Cariaga, who has served the wider Los Angeles community for over sixteen years as an English teacher, founding member of the People’s Education Movement, and now an assistant professor in teacher education at CSUDH. Her teaching and research seeks to reintegrate the mind, body, and spirit into classrooms and beyond to better meet the holistic needs of marginalized students and the educators who serve them. She has published widely in academic journals, including The Urban Review and Race Ethnicity & Education and books like A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back (UA Press). She has spoken nationally and internationally at conferences about healing-centered teaching, provided keynotes for several educational convenings, and guest spoken on wellness podcasts. She continues to co-organize liberatory wellness programming for critical educators through spaces like the People’s Education Conference.

Tanya Suzuki (she/her)
Hybrid Assistant Faculty

Tanya Suzuki has been working in schools in Los Angeles and supporting students for the past 23+ years. She currently provides support for educators, youth and schools as a Restorative (Justice) Practices educator, consultant, and facilitator. She also works privately with clients to facilitate Restorative (repair) Circles and as a coach, with a strong focus on women and educators of color. Tanya’s methodology incorporates the practices of embodiment, non-violent communication and Restorative Justice, with a distinct social justice framework informed by her organizing work with the LA chapter of the People’s Education Movement. Through this critical lens Tanya is committed to moving beyond survival and towards a collective culture that embodies wellness, (restorative/transformative) justice and dignity for all in the face of institutional harms and pressures.

Candice Valenzuela (they/she)
Virtual Cohort Lead Faculty
Candice (they/them/she/her) believes that ancestral, community and ecological healing are the most urgent issues of our time. They coach systems leaders, offer 1:1 counseling and facilitate healing experiences at justice-oriented institutions throughout the nation. In her free time, Candice enjoys writing, painting and sharing their enthusiasm for nature with their 7-year child. Follow them on Instagram, join their newsletter on substack, and contact them at their website.