Skillful togetherness builds an awareness of self and others in a community, using the philosophy of ubuntu as a guiding principle. Through the individual and collective exchange of ideas, materials, and experiences, feelings of value and empathy build connection and fun for all!
Early childhood and school-age learning communities are extremely complex environments with many unique needs and wants for all stakeholders. This training is tailored to the organization’s needs to introduce the concept of Ubuntu and unpack some powerful approaches for relationship-forming and decision-making. Described as “super empathy,” Ubuntu has the power to strengthen the fabric of teaching teams and all community stakeholders.
The U School Lexicon is a guide to speaking truthfully and usefully with children and other humans. It contains a vocabulary and framing which helps all people understand how they can be powerful problem-solvers, helps children and grown-ups communicate with less friction, and supports social-emotional and executive function development.
MP&E introduces four core mindfulness techniques to build individual practice that can focus and adjust our attention to adapt to life in a more optimal way—Focus Out, Focus In, Focus on Rest, and Nurture Positive. The applications of these techniques are further explored in the context of teaching and classrooms through a continuum of ways to share these awareness practices with the children in our care.
The Ubuntu PEACE Plan is a proactive cultural community plan for keeping the fun before conflict arises. It coaches community stakeholders towards more concrete and shared understandings of safety, awareness, and interpersonal communication.
Conflict is a normal aspect of humanity, and can be embraced as teachable moments through peaceful and respectful conflict resolution strategies. When conflict has arisen, The Ubuntu Plan for Conflict guides stakeholders through the process of returning to the fun through actionable problem-solving solutions.
This curriculum is designed to be offered as a customizable package and completed on a timeline that feels appropriate for your specific organization—from an intensive training week, to more slowly over a full school year, or any amount of time in between. Participants/organizations will receive a package of classroom materials to support the suggested curriculum activities covered in the courses. Please contact Ryan Brown at ryan@ubuntucommunities.com for more information.
Part 1: Building Bridges
Part 2: The U School Lexicon
Part 3: Mindful Parents and Educators
Part 4: Plans for PEACE and Conflict
$350 for all four courses
Group discount (10+ staff) – 15%
Group discount (20+ staff) – 20%
Please contact Ryan for group discounts or submit an inquiry below.
We recommend completing the trainings over the course of an academic year. However, the schedule can be customized to fit your organization’s needs. Submit an inquiry below to get in touch!
Ryan has more than 25 years of experience in the field of education, with 20+ years of that being in leadership and management roles. Starting off as a first grade basketball coach, Ryan has built his career as an innovative and well-respected early childhood and school-age educator. His passion for working with children, teachers, and families combined with his engaging stories of past experience translate into powerful, inspiring, and informative guidance for others.
After earning a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education Administration and Leadership from the University of Michigan—Dearborn, Ryan cofounded the U School in Ann Arbor, MI where he has served as the Executive Director for 8 years. He is also the cofounder and Managing Partner of Ubuntu Communities, continuing to serve as Lead Trainer to offer training and consulting opportunities to early childhood organizations and educators around the world.
Charlie is the Lead Teacher of a 3- and 4-year-old classroom at the U School, and has been a classroom teacher of various ages since 2002. Charlie is our resident mindfulness coach, and has been training others since 2013 after taking teaching courses from Shinzen Young. Charlie has helped people apply mindfulness to work- or family-related stress, to process chronic pain, to interact with more compassion, to break down mental habits or “tape loops,” to improve interactions between teachers and students, and more.
Charlie is also the author of the U School Lexicon: A guide for speaking truthfully and usefully with children and other humans, which he helped to develop with Ryan Brown over the course of many years working together as educators. Charlie’s current focus is developing skillful togetherness trainings for parents, educators, and preschoolers through his roles as lead teacher at the U School and trainer for Ubuntu Communities.
