About the Founder

Dr. Nadjwa E. L. Norton

Dr. Nadjwa E.L. Norton is a designer-scholar-educator-coach-spiritual-native New Yorker who received her ED.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College Columbia and a B.A. from Yale University who has over 25 years of experience designing and implementing professional development for a variety of organizations. She is an Associate Professor in the Transformative Literacy Program at City College, CUNY. She is also a poet and an author and has served as teacher, site coordinator, literacy coach, professional developer, consultant, assessment coordinator, researcher, organizational co-founder, and conference planner in the field of education. Most of her experience has been in schools (charter, public, early childhood centers, universities), social service agencies, non-profit groups, and urban community organizations. She lives her life as a spiritual learner and educator vested in theoretical frameworks such as Transformative Literacies, Social Justice and Equity, Critical Design, Critical Systems and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. An anchoring part of her contribution to the field has been intersecting spirituality with education. She is grateful to the living and formerly living spirits that have served as her teachers while she is journeying to strengthen the ways that she helps herself and others understand, oppose, and dismantle injustice and oppression. With frameworks and integrated designs, she aims to align her mind, body, and spirit with other minds-bodies-spirits to live a life that integrates equity, joy, liberation, spirituality, and authenticity. She stewards revision and supporting people in transformations that lead to innovative thriving futures.