Christa M. Tinari is an educational leader who designs, facilitates, and scales learning experiences that inspire and equip participants to transform themselves and their communities. For over twenty five years, Christa has provided experiential training in peace education and violence prevention, and equity-informed social-emotional learning, to thousands of educators, changemakers, and organizational leaders in social service sectors. Her early career included direct service work with adjudicated teens, domestic violence survivors, children experiencing loss, and students with disabilities. Later, she established a PeacePraxis, consulting practice that focused on training adults, and helping hundreds of organizations build their programmatic capacity to work for the social good. She directed the Peaceful Schools Institute and taught essential skills in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and positive discipline, within the College of Education at Temple University, Philadelphia.
Prior to joining the Garrison Institute, Christa was Senior Trainer and Instructional Content Developer for The SEE Learning Program at The Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University. At the Center, she translated the latest research on contemplative science and resiliency into practices to improve well-being. She also designed and facilitated workshops in Europe, Asia, and North and South America, and led a crises response to support SEE Learning affiliates in Ukraine.
Christa has authored a dozen SEL programs, and is coauthor of Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School, and creator of the Feel & Deal Activity Deck (reviewed by Dr. Ekman).
Christa is a long-time mindfulness practitioner and holds degrees in Psychology and International Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, as well as professional certifications in mediation, equity literacy facilitation, intergroup dialogue, emotional intelligence leadership coaching, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed resiliency. She is completing a doctorate in Global Education Leadership with a focus on culturally responsive SEL. Her vision for the future is a world in which every person is equipped with the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and social supports they need to live together in justice, joy, health, and peace.