Humaning With
김효영 Minna Kim
social-emotional literacy
&
human-ecosystem wellness
human
/ˈ(h)yo͞omən/Human was first recorded in the mid 13th century, and owes its existence to the Middle French humain “of or belonging to man.” That word, in turn, comes from the Latin humanus, thought to be a hybrid relative of homo, meaning “man,” and humus, meaning “earth.” [resource]
We are earth.
humaning
/ˈ(h)yo͞oməniNG/
verb
1. the act of being human
2. relating to and interacting with the world as a human
We are verbs.
It took me a long time to remember that I am of this Earth, that I am inextricably human being with the earth. This rehabilitated knowing has continuously aided me in humaning with myself, others, systems, and the natural world with the intention of connection, belonging, and shared leadership for co-liberation.My approach centers cultivating healthy-healing relationships that provide the conditions for shared leadership, informed by the science of our nervous systems and in the context of our social systems. My offerings are informed by CASEL, neurobiology, attachment theory, biomimicry, embodiment & somatics, hospicing modernity, and play.Let's work together to design meaningful experiential and embodied sessions to develop mindsets, skills sets, and structures for developing adult social-emotional literacy and healthier human ecosystems.
guiding princples
“When our lived experiences of theorizing is fundamentally linked to processes of self-recovery, of collective liberation, no gap exists between theory and practice. Indeed, what such experience makes more evident is the bond between the two — that ultimately reciprocal process wherein one enables the other.” - bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
• Connection is a requisite for wellness.
The relationship we have with the self, others, the land, and the systems we live in inform the quality of wellness with the personal, interpersonal, and systemic. So, self-awareness, social awareness, and systemic awareness and the understanding of their interconnectedness are essential elements integrated in my offerings.
• Our body is our most advanced technology.
Research studies are affirming the complex and dynamic design of the interconnectedness of our brain, heart, gut, and overall neurology of our human body. Thus, movement and other embodied experiences are an integral part of the process of moving towards wellness.
• Moving at the pace of trust strengthens us and gets us farther.
My offerings are human-centered experiences that prioritize people over an agenda. This means there is room for emergence to meet each other where we are at and to slow down to practice intentional care for intentional growth.
• The wisdom for wellness resides in each of us.
My offerings are meant to support you in (re)discovering what you inherently know about wellness, (inter)connection, and belonging through experiential and reflective exercises. I simply guide you in the process of discovery.
offerings
I provide training, education, consultation, coaching, and resource development regarding:
• social-emotional literacy for all ages
• belonging, diversity, equity, inclusion
• community building + healing
• trauma-informed pedagogy
• shared leadership
• workshops playshops for working on SEL development
“Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain - unless it was done with PLAY, in which case, it takes between 10-20 repetitions.” - Dr Karyn Purvis
WHO IT'S FOR:
• K-12 educator and staff
• K-12 school + district leaders
• Teacher training programs
• Higher education students, staff, faculty
• Nonprofit teams + leaders
• Youth organizations
WHAT TO EXPECT:
1. DISCUSS: We will explore the context, need, purpose, and scope of our partnership.
2. DESIGN: I will share my proposal that outlines the context, purpose, approaches, timeline, and budget for you to review for any questions or adjustments.
3. DELIVER: I deliver what we agreed on!
4. DEBRIEF: We debrief the experience for learnings and next steps
SAMPLE TOPICS:
• Healthy Human-Ecosytems: What's Nature Got to Do With It?
• The Science + Skills of Connection and Belonging
• Games for Connection + Collaboration
• Giving + Receiving Feedback: Fostering Effective Communication
• Tension + Conflict: Opportunities for Connection
• Self-Care vs. Collective Care: An Honest Exploration
• Embodying Our Pedagogy: What it Means to Live Our Curriculum
• Exploring Power + Positionality
• Tools + Skills for Shared Leadership
• DEIB Lens for Lesson Planning
• Racialization of Asians in the United States
PARTNERS:
• College of Education, University of Washington (Seattle, WA; 2024-2026)
• Bellevue College, Social Justice Center: Wellness Series, Equity PD (Bellevue, WA; 2022-2026)
• Building Belonging & Necessary Trouble Collective: Movements of Belonging Gathering (Vancouver, BC; January 2025)
• Shoreline Community College, Multicultural Center: Zones of Awareness (Shoreline WA; May 2024)
• Questabox: Improv for Growth Mindset + Storytelling Through Photography (San Jose, CA; June-July 2023)
• Sean Washington Photography: Storytelling Through Photography (San Jose, CA; July 2023)
• Parag Khandar: Coming Home to Asian America (Virtual; May 2023)
let's connect
I'm happy to connect with you for a 30-minute Zoom call.Please email me with a brief introduction:
• who you are
• what you're seeking
• how I might be of supportI look forward to meeting you.
about me
Hello.My name is 효영 HyoYoung Minna Kim (she/her), currently based on Duwasmish aboriginal territory, also known as Seattle, Washington.My journey in this lifetime as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrants is largely influenced by my calling to navigate ancestral reclamation and intergenerational healing, inviting me into humaning with uncertainty and discomfort while centering our collective liberation in this complex predicament of modernity we are living through.
My knowledge and skills have been crafted during my 11 years as a public school educator, 20 years as a mindfulness practitioner, and a MSW from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work.They continue to be shaped and refined by my roles as a peer counselor, a former Global Round Table Leadership Learning Steward, a ThinkGive Program Coordinator and Curriculum Developer, a FuelEd trainer, and a YES! Jam facilitator.My personal growth and offerings to the community are inspired by teachers such as Shilpa Jain, former Executive Director of YES!; David Diamond, founder of Theatre for Living (rooted in Theatre of the Oppressed); Jeanne Denney, founder of School of Unusual Life Learning; and the Earth.My glimmers are children's literature, collective dreamwork, communing with Nature, deep belly laughs, and aggressive dog-cuddles.Thank you for stopping by.
Here's some of my writing:
• Prism of Wisdom substack on Community Dreamwork
• Community Dreamwork as Pluriversal Practice featured in The Arrow Journal: The Power of the Pluriverse
• Self-Care vs Community Care FuelEd Blog
•Back to Normal featured in FuelEd Blog