Side by Side Consultant
bios
➤Nickyia
Cogshell is a Youth Development Consultant with
fifteen years experience working with youth in historically
underserved communities and adults who serve them. She has
worked in many capacities in the youth development field,
including: facilitating youth and adult learning
experiences, managing youth programs, developing culturally
responsive curriculum, and designing inclusive learning
environments. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human
Services with an emphasis in Adolescent Development. She is
in the final stages of completing a Masters Degree in
Education, Youth Development Leadership. More...
➤Johanna
Eager has been extensively involved as a
professional educator with equity issues in K-12 education.
She serves as a consultant to many school districts and
presents at professional association meetings on topics
related to educational equity. From 2003-2009, Johanna
served as the Equity and Integration Coordinator for
Roseville Area Schools, ISD 623. In this role, she worked
with district leadership to develop a district equity goal,
and developed and implemented a district-wide equity
initiative that became systemic and systematic.
Johanna is certified and has extensive experience with some
of the most successful diversity- and equity-related
programs for schools. She's been an administrator and
interpreter of the Intercultural Development Inventory
(IDI), a facilitator for seeking consensus between groups
in conflict, and a facilitator for the SEED (Seeking
Educational Equity & Diversity) program. Additionally,
Johanna taught high school Language Arts for ten years,
holds a Master's of Science in Diversity Education (Special
Studies), and teaches various cultural diversity courses as
an adjunct assistant professor for Saint Mary's University.
Johanna and her life partner Jill are also partners in
Shine Health Consulting.
➤Melvin
Giles is a veteran peace and diversity educator.
His current work includes facilitating a 3-year citywide
peace campaign – The Peace Pole and Peace Message Campaign.
This campaign is intended to decrease violent crime as well
as creating places, spaces, and opportunities for peaceful
gatherings and racial and cultural appreciation and
education in the greater St. Paul area. A former
administrator of Frogtown Catholic Charities, Mr. Giles has
also served as the co-chair and trainer of MCARI, an
anti-racism training group sponsored by the Tri Council
Coordinating Commission of the Council of Churches.
In addition, Mr. Giles is also a founding member of the
Pluralism Circle in St. Paul which worked to develop a
network of community leaders committed to addressing
institutional racism and providing models for organization
growth in this area. Mr. Giles was the 2003 recipient of
the Martin Luther King “Dream Keeper” Award, which
recognizes individuals who exemplify the passion and
dedication of Dr. King and his hunger for social equality
and justice for all people. In 2005, Mr. Giles was honored
as one of eleven McKnight Award winners. Mr. Giles
currently serves as an adjunct faculty instructor for
Bethel University and is certified to conduct and
co-facilitate Racial Sobriety workshops for community
institutions and groups.
➤Margaret
Jones draws upon 20 years of experience
helping schools, businesses and nonprofits tackle
their unique organizational and communication
challenges, specializing in conflict management and
resolution, facilitation and coaching. In 2006-2007,
she served as a “talking circle keeper” for the
Science Museum’s Race exhibit and has facilitated
conversations about race and racism with both
secondary school students and adults.
➤Kia
Moua's interests are in social justice, youth
development, service-learning, Anti Racism, and White
privilege issues. She has experience in training,
facilitating, and advocating. Kia has many years of
experience conducting trainings on an individual base and
in large group settings. She has experience coordinating
after-school, during school and community youth development
and service-learning programs/ processes. She has
facilitated many conversations and trainings on antiracism.
Kia is currently leading student dialogues about race and
racism for the Bloomington Human Rights Commission. She is
also currently a graduate student at Saint Mary’s
University, working on a Master of Human Development degree
with an emphasis on Antiracism Studies.
Kia
was a founding Co Director of Hmong Women's Oral History
Project in La Crosse, WI from 2001-2003. Kia is an alumni
of the Hmong Women Leadership Institute by Hnub Tshiab, and
has been a member of Hmong Women Achieving Together since
2007. She served on the board of directors of the West Side
Safe Neighborhood Council from 2004 to 2006, and on the
Community Neighborhood Housing Services' board of directors
from 2005 to 2007. Kia has a BS from Viterbo University.
➤Sheronda
Orridge, Owner of Loving Spirit Life Coach Academy was
born and raised in Chicago, IL., She came to the Twin
Cities in March of 1995 with her then six-month old
daughter in search of a better life. Realizing that a
better life meant being part of a healthy community,
creating healthy communities soon became Sheronda’s
life‘s work and mission. As a direct result of her work
with children and families, in 2004 Sheronda started a
consulting business, Loving Spirit Community Consulting,
that focuses on issues and systems that directly impact
the health of communities such as education, welfare,
child protection, homelessness, and the justice systems.
See Sheronda's full bio and
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