Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

The Georgetown Law Center on Poverty andInequality’s Initiative on Gender Justice &Opportunity partnered with RestorativeEmpowerment for Youth (REY), a community-based organization in Houston, Texas co-ledby Dr. Anita Wadhwa and Udoro Ekpin-Gatewood, to offer and evaluate a pilot onlinerestorative justice program developed for girlsof color to support more inclusive, culturallyresponsive, and connected learningenvironments in Fall 2020. The 3-month longprogram was taught by REY Youth Facilitators(YFs), all of whom were girls of color, andintegrated social-emotional capacity buildingwith pragmatic skills associated withfacilitating restorative circles. The core foundation of the program consistedof monthly workshops led by REY YFs. Thecurriculum of the program was grounded inan active learning praxis that integratedtheory, practice, out-of-session exercises andhomework, and follow-up individual sessionsbetween students and YFs. The threeworkshops were designed to address issuescentral to the lived experiences of girls ofcolor, such as the need for self-care, theimportance of resilience building practices,peer connection, and safe spaces to engage incritical conversations about intersectionaloppression. During the capstone of theprogram, students wrote their own “scripts” tolead restorative circles and, in some cases,lead circles with their peers with the supportof a YF.

What is Restorative Empowerment forYouth?

REY is a Minority and Women-owned BusinessEnterprise co-founded in 2016 by women ofcolor. REY was born out of the belief thatrestorative justice practices can be practiced byanyone who is apprenticed to communitymembers and familiar with the philosophy –one need not pay for hundreds of hours oftraining or have a professional degree in orderto facilitate circles. REY is committed to thegrowth of restorative practices designed notonly to repair and build relationships amongcommunity members, but to repair what iswrong in the world at large and to tip the scalesof justice so that our systems serve and value allyoung people. Its work is grounded in the beliefthat youth are the most effective and essentialambassadors of its mission. REY offersapprenticeships to youth and adults throughthe practice of circles, a community-initiatedspace of deep listening where participants sit ina circle and pass a talking piece to designateone speaker at a time, with the goal of buildingrelationships and repairing harm. All REY trainings and programs are designed toaddress a range of students from diversebackgrounds.

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Washington, DC 20001

Copyright © 2020 Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequalitygenderjusticeandopportunity.georgetown.edu/[email protected] @GtownGenderJust

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[1] This Case Study was compiled by Rebecca Epstein, Thalia González, and Rhea Shinde, of the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality’s Initiative onGender Justice & Opportunity. Generous support for this project was provided by the Grantmakers 4 Girls of Color Foundation and the Annie E. CaseyFoundation.[2] This program prioritized compensation to the youth who were involved in leading this program. We are grateful for the generosity of the Grantmakers 4 Girlsof Color Foundation in making this program and its assessment possible. Co-PIs of this project were Thalia González and Rebecca Epstein.[3] REY recognizes that the land on which it operates was originally inhabited by the Karankawa, Atakapa-Ishak, Akokisa, and Sana people.

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Restorative practices (RPs) provide a set ofresilience-building tools for girls of color. Theypromote positive and supportive peerrelationships; teach, practice, and build socialemotional skills; value and strengthen girls’voices; and encourage them to lean deeply intotheir power.

Restorative justice circles, and the philosophy onwhich they are based, provide safe spaces forgirls of color to speak, listen, heal, and transform.By participating in and leading circles, girls ofcolor act as agents of change who can transformtheir own experience in school and beyond.

Youth-led RPs also acknowledge the realities thatgirls of color face, including gender stereotypes,toxic masculinity, and social and emotionalpressures associated with existingpredominantly-white educational spaces.

The transformation of systems and people throughrelationships is a key goal of the REY model.




REY’s YFs are trained through a youth apprentice-based model (YAM) of restorative justice that isbased on three pillars of practice:

estorative: Repair relationships notonly among individuals in schools, butstudents' relationship with theinstitution of schooling itself;

mpowering: Allow youth to see theirown agency in the world and totransform the education system toallow for student voice and communityinput); and

outh-led: Allow youth to be the truelevers of change for educational justice,as the people who can present the mostcompelling case to convince educatorsof the long-term power of restorativejustice.

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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)The training program provided girls of colorwith a safe space to strengthen peerrelationships and engage in active listeningand cooperation. The scaffolded workshop-session design promoted positive self-esteemand self-identify through YFs’ mentorship andpeer networks. YFs observed positiveoutcomes that included increased self-awareness, social awareness, relationshipskills, mutual appreciation and respect, andcooperation. The use of circle practice as thefoundation of the program reinforced positiveparticipant experiences in the form of sharedhistories, stories, and experiences as girls ofcolor.

Virtual Reach and TechnologyThe virtual format bolstered the YFs’ capacityto provide personalized support forparticipants during and after sessions andparticipants’ ability to be heard, through theuse of breakout-rooms. The technology alsocreated broader access to REY’s program,allowing girls of color across the country toparticipate.




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[4] Data for evaluation of this program included review of written materials developed by REY and qualitative interviews with REYco-founders and REY Youth Facilitators.

“Many people think of RestorativeJustice as a way to heal a relationshipwith someone else and to create acommunity, all which is true; but themost important thing is therelationship with yourself. Being able todo this with young girls reminded me ofthe importance to forgive yourself andlove who you are.” - Leslie, YF

RJ Girls Leadership Program Circle

Leadership SkillsTaking an active role in planning andleading a circle supported girls inmaking their voices heard and indeveloping leadership skills in asupportive, respectful, and trustingspace. The capstone project –drafting a script for a circle they thenled – created the opportunity for girlsto put into action the ideas and skillslearned. In the process, they gainedskills in public speaking, organization,and communication.

Peer ConnectednessThe intentional youth-led design ofthe program facilitated theopportunity for increased participantconnection with peers, because iteliminated power dynamics that canoccur when adult are present or takeleadership roles.

“In our [typical school] class, boys dominated. It’sjust how it was. They talked the most, theyvolunteered the most. But when a girl led it [circles],it’s like, ‘Okay, so can I.’ A girl of color‘s voice is neverheard in the real world, so when you see it, it’spowerful.’” - Esme, YF

“I’m glad to be here and witness a 14-year-old girl ofcolor leading. That’s when you [students] see … thebigger picture: if a 14 year old girl of color can do it,you can do it too. It’s not just us saying you can doit. You’re seeing a girl your age, of color, who goes toyour school, doing it. She can do it, you can do it, wecan do it.” – Kasandra, YF




“It’s important for everyone, but for girls of color inparticular, [it’s] even more impactful because they’repredominantly excluded; shut down; oppressed. Freedom to discuss these topics, and say, ‘No, I wasa victim of X, or I saw X happen’ are conversationsthat help people grow.” - Leslie, YF

Growth mindsetThe opportunity to lead circlespromoted a growth mindset forparticipants as they challengedthemselves to learn new skills andengage in a practice that was outsideof their “comfort zone”.

“You could see her grow. I’m all about seeing – whenyou can see it, you can feel it. You could see thebreakthrough she had on her own. We guided her,but she led on her own, in her own way. That, to me,means she felt it. She could see herself becoming aleader. She has it, every girl has it, they just have totap into it. Do you have that guidance, do you needthat guidance? If you do, we’re here to guide. Youhave it in you. Seeing that break through, they knowit and they feel it.” - Kasandra, YF

Virtual Environment The virtual format presented challenges inbuilding connection, as it inhibited sustainedcommunity-building and interfered with theability of YFs to interpret social cues. Forexample, YFs reported that they found it moredifficult to “read the room.” YFs also sensed thatparticipants felt less engaged and connectedwith each other than during in-person programs.

YFs also expressed difficulty working within thelimited time frames allotted for each session,which was due in part to the confined, containednature of online sessions.

REY leaders and YFs also experienced difficultycommunicating and connecting with EducatorLiaisons (partners in the schools who had agreedto serve as a link between the training program,the students, and their schools), especially byemail.

“Usually we can say, ‘We’re both on thisground together – we’re both human’ –but we don’t have that [when we’reworking] remotely. We’re in differentstates, on different ground. We all havea voice, but we’re not standing together– we’re talking through a screen.” - Kasandra, YF




“The sessions should be longer. Eventhough they were long, once you gotstarted talking, we kept running short oftime. We had so many good responses,each student would put themselves in avulnerable position, and sometimescried… It became a place of security. Iwish we’d had more time so I couldhear them out.” - Yancey, YF

Outside WorkYFs reported difficulty trackingsubmissions and ensuringcompletion of homeworkassignments. In large part, theyattributed these challenges to theformat of email, which proved to bean ineffective communication toolwith students. This challenge made itdifficult to build on skills learned inthe workshops, as the assignmentswould have allowed morecomprehensive feedback on thedevelopment of circle scripts.




Program ManagementOverall evaluation of the programrevealed a lack of uniformity incommunication among participants,YFs, and ELs, as well as language-accessibility issues, which may havecontributed to uneven engagement.




Youth-Led RPs Provide Important Skills and Opportunities for Girls of Color.When restorative programs are led by girls of color, girls learn leadership skills, feelempowered in their identity and voice, build community, and connect with peers.

Single-Gender Opportunities Allow Girls of Color to Flourish. Safe spaces forgirls of color to lead and build community through RPs can help establish trust,encourage risk-taking, and develop self-esteem.

Online RP Instruction Presents Unique Opportunities and Challenges. Onlineprograms can offer greater access to restorative justice, as well as “live” mentoringand guidance, and a farther geographic reach. At the same time, the remoteenvironment can interfere with meaningful connection and engagement.

Prioritize Communication. Clear, regular, and universalized communication with avideo component can overcome some of the challenges of online learning. Tofacilitate consistent communication, a project manager should be assigned to serveas a liaison among all participants, whose role it is to ensure the goals ofcommunication and full participation are met, as well as enforcing accountabilitymechanisms, including eligibility for compensation for participation. In addition, YFsshould have regular team communication to make consistent changes in practicesthat increase effectiveness based on the observations about challenges.

Establish a Broad Scope. Plan tiered sessions of sufficient length and depth toensure commitment to the program and consistency of practice, enhance learningopportunities, and facilitate ease of communication.




Intentionally Engage the Issues of Race and Gender. A curriculum that isnarrowly tailored to speak the interests, needs, and experience of girls of color willmake the program more accessible and deepen learning and growth experiences.

Obtain Commitments, Set Expectations, Establish Accountability. Writtenrequirements, expectations, and accountability mechanisms that are accessible andapplicable to youth facilitators, parents, students, and teachers, can help overcomesome of the challenges in creating and sustaining an online program, and they areimportant means of fulfilling engagement and learning goals.

Establish Flexible Opportunities for More Personal Engagement. To overcomethe challenges of connection during online programs, create uniform and flexiblecommunication practices, including Zoom office hours and routine Zoom check-ins. This could be combined with self-care and check-in opportunities to prevent oraddress YF burn-out and help time management.

Provide Opportunities to Put Skills into Practice. RPs focus on learning by doing;to learn to lead circles, students should be given meaningful chances to practice,with a consistent feedback mechanism for youth facilitators to help develop skills.

Include Movement and Mindfulness Practices. Online instruction on restorativejustice should include a robust continuum of practices that support the health andwellbeing of students and YFs.

Work with Schools to Implement Practices. Trainings should work closely withteachers to ensure that students bring the skills they have learned, and theopportunities they promise, into school.




“This was an unprecedented undertaking forREY, but after hearing from our YFs, I knewthat all the hard work around conveningyoung women from different parts of the

country in order to be vulnerable, heal, andstrengthen one another was well worth it. I

am hopeful that the lessons learned willhelp us grow as an organization, and build

our capacity to apprentice girls of colornationwide in future endeavors.”

– Dr. Anita Wadhwa, REY Co-Founder

"I continue to see power in our young people,especially our girls of color. The journey from

applicant to participant, their sense of self, wasthe main attraction. No more silencing their

voices or diminishing their light."- Udoro Ekpin-Gatewood, REY Co-Founder

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

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