Annual Peace of Mind Conference
Mindfulness * Learning * Community
By educators, for educators
Peace of Mind Conference 2024: Agenda and Presenters
Conference Slides
9:30 am to 10:30 am Mindfulness for Educators
Dave Trachtenberg is a mindfulness guide & mentor, restorative justice educator, cross-cultural dialog facilitator, and inclusive leadership coach with over 20 years of experience practicing mindfulness. Currently, he teaches mindfulness and inclusive leadership in American University’s School of Education, and in the past has served educators across the country with five different mindfulness and education nonprofits. He has dedicated his life to integrating mindfulness & well-being with inclusion and social justice and creating communities that honor our collective wisdom, celebrate our identities and lived experiences, and embody the courage and humility needed to create a more welcoming society.
11:00 am Conference Opens
Emcee and facilitator Syreetta McArthur and Peace of Mind Board Chair Liz Whisnant will welcome us in. Peace of Mind founder and creative director Linda Ryden, Peace Teacher Elie Goldman, and their students will kick off the day. Students will share how Peace of Mind helps them solve conflicts and introduce us to a new way (for most of us) to share our feelings with each other.
Syreetta McArthur has served communities in Washington, D.C. for fourteen years in several capacities. As an elementary and social justice educator, she recognizes the need to practice mindfulness as she centers equity in her teaching practice. Syreetta witnesses the positive impact Peace of Mind has on her students every day and recognizes the need for it in every level of education, in every school.
Syreetta holds a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice from Loyola University Maryland. Syreetta is a lifelong learner that enjoys annotating articles and research papers. She is a proud plant mom and lover of a good writing pen.
Peace of Mind Board Member Liz Whisnant served as principal of the District of Public Schools’ Horace Mann ES from 2005 to 2022. Horace Mann is one of only four schools in the nation to receive the US Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence five times. In 2008, Liz co-founded with several principal colleagues the District of Columbia Collaborative for Change (DC3), a reform structure for school improvement in DCPS whose mission is to craft schools that are inspiring places to teach and learn. She currently serves on several boards, including the National Network of Schools in Partnership, The Theatre Lab, and Peace of Mind.
Linda Ryden is the creator of the Peace of Mind Program and author of the Peace of Mind Curriculum Series, a cutting-edge combination of mindfulness-based social-emotional learning, conflict resolution and social justice for Early Childhood through Middle School. Linda has served as the full-time Peace Teacher at Lafayette Elementary School, Washington DC’s largest public elementary, since 2003 and continues to teach Peace of Mind classes to more than 700 students every week. Linda is also actively engaged in supporting her school’s efforts to sustain an inclusive and equitable school climate.
Linda is the author of five mindfulness-based children’s books including three published by Tilbury House. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Washington Parent, Washington Family, Teaching Tolerance, Edutopia, among others. Linda was a keynote speaker at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year conference in 2020 and a featured speaker at the National Education Association Foundation Symposium in 2018, and has received a Commendation for Educational Innovation from the DC Board of Education.
Linda brings a passion for teaching peace and over 25 years of teaching experience to her work with children and adults. Linda holds a BA from Wesleyan University and lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Jeremiah Cohen, owner of Bullfrog Bagels, their two children, and their dog Phoebe.
Elie is the Peace Teacher for grades 2-5 at Lafayette Elementary, DC’s largest elementary school. In 2016, he started his career as a Teach for America (TFA) Corps Member in Chicago. After TFA, Elie taught English in rural communities in India and Israel. In 2018, he returned home to the DMV to be a founding teacher at Washington Leadership Academy. In 2020, he co-founded InnerView Education, which helps high schoolers practice self-reflection for self-direction as they prepare for and apply to college. Elie is a founding board member of ConnectDMV. In his free time, Elie volunteers at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, travels, surfs, and dreams of peace
11:45 am to 12:15 pm Interactive Keynote
Daryn Cambridge is an educational creative, facilitator, and producer whose career has been rooted in the fields of peace building, nonviolence, international education, and leadership development. In 2018, he joined Training Resources Group, Inc. – an employee-owned, small business that provides organizational development, facilitation, knowledge management, and coaching services to organizations seeking to create positive change in the world.
From 2013-2018, he worked at the United States Institute of Peace where he helped build and launch USIP’s Global Campus – an online learning platform designed to teach and learn critical peace building skills. While at USIP he also created, produced, and hosted the Peace Frequency, a podcast series that taps into the stories of people across the globe who are making peace possible and finding ways to create a world without violence.
From 2009 – 2013, he worked at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict where he designed and facilitated workshops, trainings, and courses on nonviolent civil resistance for activists, journalists, and scholars from across the globe.
Since 2008, he has been an adjunct professor at American University (AU), where he has taught courses on Peace Education, Education for International Development, and skills institutes on Nonviolent Action and Online Training Program Design.
He also served for two years as Peace Educator in Residence, helping build AU’s profile as an institute committed to advancing peace education. Daryn lives in Falls Church, VA with his partner, their two daughters, and their dog. He enjoys running, cycling, and playing the guitar.
12:20 to 12:55 Educator Panel
Peace of Mind educators share how they are implementing the program and how it prepares students to solve conflicts peacefully. This is a terrific panel and we’re looking forward to hearing their thoughts and stories!
Jackie Snowden is a retired educator whose long career included roles as a classroom teacher, Arts Integration Specialist, and Assistant Principal at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, DC. As former staff member at Lafayette ES, where Peace of Mind began, she was privileged to witness, utilize, and appreciate the positive change it made in the behavior and performance of our student body and staff. During Jackie’s tenure, Lafayette initiated and supported the first DCPS school-wide Peace and Mindfulness program to support a positive school culture. Jackie’s 30-year career at Lafayette also included teaching grades 2, 3, 5, and 6, as well as serving as the Arts Integration Coordinator when Lafayette was the only DCPS school to be designated as a Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) school. In this capacity, she also helped to train teachers and administrators in other DCPS designated Arts Integration schools. To this day, an emphasis on integrating the arts into all subject areas enriches every student’s learning experience at Lafayette and beyond.
Jackie was nominated for the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award. She holds degrees from American University and Cambridge College. Jackie is a current Peace of Mind Board Member and full time grandmother. She is also a very proud native Washingtonian, and the even more proud mother of three adult children, all of whom are Lafayette graduates and owners of successful businesses. She has been blissfully married to her husband, Rene, for over 40 years.
Jared is a 4th grade Teacher in Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland. He has been utilizing the Peace of Mind curriculum in his classroom for nearly a decade and consistently sees positive results. He lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Coda.
Hello! My name is Tajeh Frazier. I am a fairly new addition to the Peace of Mind family, and currently serving as the Art and Peace teacher at Brightwood Elementary School. Coming from a family of educators, I’ve always held a passion for working with children. Watching them learn, grow, gain confidence in themselves, and make friends are the most rewarding parts of my work. Joining Peace of Mind allows me to continue this sacred by not only giving children the tools to succeed academically but to become the best versions of themselves and thrive in this world.
Stephanie Gordon is the proud school counselor at Carderock Springs Elementary School in Bethesda, Maryland. With 21 years of experience as a teacher and elementary counselor, Stephanie has spent the last nine years at Carderock working to infuse mindfulness into the social emotional programming and community for students, staff, and families. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with undergraduate degrees in psychology and early childhood education, and earned a Master’s degree in counseling along with a certificate in play therapy from Johns Hopkins University. Stephanie is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and registered play therapist (RPT). Most importantly, she is a mom to seven year old daughter, Rosie. They enjoy practicing mindfulness and yoga together in their free time.
12:55 to 1:30 Lunch
Delicious Bullfrog Bagel Sandwich lunch boxes are back! We’re offering omnivore, vegetarian and vegan options again this year. Please reserve yours when you register.
You are welcome to bring your own lunch if you prefer. Drinks will be provided.
1:40 to 3:10 The Work of Peace: Teaching Conflict Resolution in our Schools Experiential Afternoon Workshop
Have you ever taught a Conflict Resolution lesson only to have your students get into a fight after class? Wondering how to help your students resolve conflicts peacefully? In our afternoon workshop, we’ll be focusing on teaching conflict resolution in a way that really helps kids, using a foundation of mindfulness, brain science and social emotional skills. Our team of experienced Peace of Mind educators will lead us through an experiential workshop and breakout group conversations to help you apply what you are learning to your own work with students.
Kelly Gilstrap is a career educator with over 14 years of experience both teaching and serving as an instructional coach. As a mindful educator, Kelly believes in the power of school communities to develop student capacity to face challenges in their lives and the world with kindness, courage, and compassion. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Educational Administration. After recently teaching and coaching in Washington, DC, she now serves as a consultant with Peace of Mind, providing training and educator support. In this role, she develops and delivers training for those new to PoM and schools looking to strengthen their implementation model.
Kelly now resides in the sunny state of Georgia with her children and her husband Neil Gilstrap, Co-founder and CTO of Cadmore Media.
Elie is the Peace Teacher for grades 2-5 at Lafayette Elementary, DC’s largest elementary school. In 2016, he started his career as a Teach for America (TFA) Corps Member in Chicago. After TFA, Elie taught English in rural communities in India and Israel. In 2018, he returned home to the DMV to be a founding teacher at Washington Leadership Academy. In 2020, he co-founded InnerView Education, which helps high schoolers practice self-reflection for self-direction as they prepare for and apply to college. Elie is a founding board member of ConnectDMV. In his free time, Elie volunteers at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, travels, surfs, and dreams of peace.
Syreetta McArthur has served communities in Washington, D.C. for fourteen years in several capacities. As an elementary and social justice educator, she recognizes the need to practice mindfulness as she centers equity in her teaching practice. Syreetta witnesses the positive impact Peace of Mind has on her students every day and recognizes the need for it in every level of education, in every school.
Syreetta holds a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice from Loyola University Maryland. Syreetta is a lifelong learner that enjoys annotating articles and research papers. She is a proud plant mom and lover of a good writing pen.
Jared is a 4th grade Teacher in Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland. He has been utilizing the Peace of Mind curriculum in his classroom for nearly a decade and consistently sees positive results. He lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Coda.
Linda Ryden is the creator of the Peace of Mind Program and author of the Peace of Mind Curriculum Series, a cutting-edge combination of mindfulness-based social-emotional learning, conflict resolution and social justice for Early Childhood through Middle School. Linda has served as the full-time Peace Teacher at Lafayette Elementary School, Washington DC’s largest public elementary, since 2003 and continues to teach Peace of Mind classes to more than 700 students every week. Linda is also actively engaged in supporting her school’s efforts to sustain an inclusive and equitable school climate.
Linda is the author of five mindfulness-based children’s books including three published by Tilbury House. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Washington Parent, Washington Family, Teaching Tolerance, Edutopia, among others. Linda was a keynote speaker at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year conference in 2020 and a featured speaker at the National Education Association Foundation Symposium in 2018, and has received a Commendation for Educational Innovation from the DC Board of Education.
Linda brings a passion for teaching peace and over 25 years of teaching experience to her work with children and adults. Linda holds a BA from Wesleyan University and lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Jeremiah Cohen, owner of Bullfrog Bagels, their two children, and their dog Phoebe.
3:30 to 3:45 pm. New Peace of Mind Resources and Opportunities
We’re so excited to share the new resources we have been developing to support kids and families! We’ll introduce you to our new PoMTV-Kids youtube channel, new animated versions of Marleigh is Mindful stories, and our very latest storybook, Mason and the Conflict CAT. We also have some exciting opportunities coming up to get involved – stay tuned!
3:45 to 4:00 pm. Closing Circle
Dave Trachtenberg and Syreetta McArthur will facilitate our closing circle, a time for reflection, connection and celebration!
5:00 to 7:00 pm. Evening Circle and Dinner
Dave Trachtenberg and Syreetta McArthur will be back to facilitate an informal gathering before dinner, giving us a chance to consider what you need to take this work forward and how we can support each other in the process.
Conference Videography and Photography
Hey everyone I’m Leslie, the creative behind LNJ Designs. I was born and raised in Tampa Florida and attended college at the University of Florida (Go Gators!). After graduating, I took a huge leap of faith and moved to Washington DC to study City and Regional Planning. During this time, I worked in education and taught for DC Public School and led national leadership programs across the country for high-achieving students. After taking a break in 2014, I found my passion for storytelling. I purchased a used camera from a college friend and started taking pictures of everything. They were terrible. Really terrible. I was determined to get better and within a few short months, I was pretty good at my hobby. I went to work for a national nonprofit and started photographing events as a side hustle. A few years later, my passion and side hustle turned into full-time entrepreneurship. Over the last few years, my team and I have photographed and filmed major conferences, advertising campaigns, government events, documentaries, and everything in between. It’s been amazing to see the progress from buying a used camera to seeing your work featured in Billboards in Time Square, magazine covers, advertising campaigns, and everything in between. To learn more about LNJ Designs, check out my website at www.LNJDesignsPhoto.com
Big Thank You to our Conference Volunteers and Supporters!
A warm, big and heartfelt thank you to The Carroll Family Charitable Fund for their support which makes this conference free to all again this year! We are also grateful to:
The Peace of Mind Board of Directors is showing up!
Liz Whisnant is hosting us at the school she led for many years and making sure we are sustained with tasty food and drink all day.
Subrat Biswal and Darrel Jodrey are running the Peace of Mind shop at the Conference – please stop by and say hi!
Elizabeth Hoffman is our showrunner, keeping us all on track.
Laura Yee is working with our student social media correspondents during the day. Smile and say hi!
Chapin Springer is supporting our videographer, Leslie Jean of LNJ Designs Photography.
Charles DeSantis is sending good vibes.
Our Student Social Media Correspondents for the day are Marleigh, Alexis, and Andrew. So glad to have them!
