Creative Arts

Visual Arts nurtures creativity and imagination by allowing learners to express themselves through painting, drawing, sculpture, and design.
It sharpens observation skills and develops an appreciation for beauty, color, and form in the world around them. Students explore different mediums and techniques, gaining both traditional and digital art experiences. The subject encourages problem-solving, innovation, and self-reflection through creative projects.
Ultimately, Visual Arts builds confidence, cultural awareness, and the ability to communicate ideas visually..

Visual Arts nurtures creativity and imagination by allowing learners to express themselves through painting, drawing, sculpture, and design.
It sharpens observation skills and develops an appreciation for beauty, color, and form in the world around them.
Students explore different mediums and techniques, gaining both traditional and digital art experiences. The subject encourages problem-solving, innovation, and self-reflection through creative projects. Ultimately, Visual Arts builds confidence, cultural awareness, and the ability to communicate ideas visually..

Sam is the Senior Vice President of Product at Breathe For Change and a member of the founding team. He started his career as an educator, first as an ESL teacher in the Middle East and later as a middle school science teacher in Washington, D.C. He is a successful entrepreneur in the education sector, where he’s held leadership positions at innovative companies in K-12 and higher education like Amplify, Coursera and Hone.

Sam is a certified professional coach, transformational leadership facilitator and certified yoga teacher (through Breathe For Change). He holds a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, with a concentration in mind, body and spirituality practices. He has facilitated workshops in leadership for tens of thousands of leaders across the globe over the past decade.

Sam lives in Boulder, CO and enjoys spending time with his growing family – his wife Talia and 2 young children, Jonah and Nora. Sam is a triathlete, and completed his first Ironman race in 2020. He loves to travel, meet new people with different perspectives, and is continually humbled by all there is to learn and experience.

Kelli spent more than 29 years in public education with roles ranging from classroom teacher to building principal to district Director of School Leadership.

After earning her doctorate in curriculum from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, she began to work to design a new teacher induction program for Texas schools that was grounded in positive behavior, systems, mindful practices, and social emotional health. During the years that she served as a district director, a professional development, she always grounded her professional development presentations and trainings in mindful practices regardless of the content being delivered, so that every educator that she had the privilege to lead received tools for their own well-being that then informed their professional practices. She’s also a 500-ERYT yoga instructor, is a certified Masters of wisdom meditation teacher, and is certified by The Chopra Center as an Ayurvedic health coach. All of these yoga tools inform her practices as an educational leader.

One of her greatest strengths is coaching and empowering school leaders to create environments of health and well-being for their staff so that ultimately staff are doing the same thing for the students and families they serve. She firmly believes that without wellness being kept as a priority at the leadership level, schools will never perform at the level of expectations that our state legislature is setting for them.

Dr. Salina Gray is an educator, researcher, and trauma-informed coach specializing in healing through resilience building. Her educational career of 25 years includes research and classroom teaching, serving students from elementary through graduate school. 

Salina earned her doctorate from Stanford University in the area of Curriculum and Instruction in Science Education. Her research focuses on the intersection of racial and science identity with an emphasis on social justice science teaching. Her work has been disseminated at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, the Teachers for Social Justice conference, Free Minds Free People, and the American Educational Research Association.

Salina is trained in trauma-informed facilitation and has vast experience and publications in the field of social justice. She is a certified yoga instructor through Breathe For Change and is currently a mentor and social emotional learning expert facilitator in the organization.

Rabia Meghani (she/her) is a Medical Researcher, Behavioral Therapist, Educator, Yoga Therapist and a student of Kathak. Rabia’s formal education is in public health, epidemiology and education. Merging her knowledge of disease and education with the ancient science of Yoga and Ayurveda, Rabia aims to make these practices accessible to the masses while honoring the roots of the science. Her passion lies in integrating yoga and mindfulness in K-12 and higher education spaces.

Rabia uses her knowledge of yoga, ayurveda and mindfulness to help those experiencing physical and emotional ailments. When it comes to healing, Rabia believes that one size does not fit all. This is why she works on the full person and caters her practices to each and every individual. Currently Rabia is working on creating mindfulness and yoga tools to be made accessible in K-12 and higher education settings. Her hope is to lobby for systemic change to make these nervous system healing modalities accessible to all. To learn more about Rabia, please visit www.rabiameghani.com

Izzi has been practicing yoga in various spaces since 2008, and has always worked within the realms of education and service. While living in Denver, CO, she worked as an Early Childhood Lead Teacher, completed a Master’s Degree in Education and Human Development, participated in over 500 hours of Yoga Teacher Training with The River Yoga, supported her first Breathe for Change 200-hour training, and led weekly classes in deep stretch meditation, candlelight vinyasa, and power vinyasa. Izzi is now living in Massachusetts, and – alongside her work with B4C – she is a Lecturer in Human Development and Family Relationships, teaching online undergraduate courses for the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education and Human Development. In addition to all of the inspiring B4C trainers she has worked with, her mentors in yogic training and practice include Dr. Christa Kuberry (Yoga Alliance Vice President of Standards), Christen Bakken (let it be Meaning Full), Anthony Davis (Shapeshift Wellness), Steph Winsor (stephwinsor.com), Kady Lafferty (Yoga Alliance Director of Standards; Big Booty Yoga), and Samy Mattei (Yoga Mattei)