Wenimo Okoya, EdD, MPH .

Why heal teachers?

Hi, I’m Wenimo — founder of Healing Schools Project.

Across the country, teachers are reaching a breaking point. Many feel they have no choice but to leave the profession they love, burned out by a system that was never designed with their wellbeing in mind. The stress is widespread. The pandemic only made it worse.

I began my career as a classroom teacher in Newark, New Jersey. That experience gave me firsthand insight into how educators, especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, are often asked to carry more, while receiving less support.

Then came 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic collective grief that followed pushed so many of us beyond our limits. My friend and colleague Ginelle and I began hosting virtual healing circles—spaces where we and other educators could speak honestly, feel seen, and begin to process our experiences. What started as care for ourselves quickly grew into something larger.

In 2021, during my fellowship at Blue Ridge Labs at the Robin Hood Foundation, our grassroots offering became a formal venture: Healing Schools Project was born.
Today, we’re a growing team partnering with schools and districts across the East Coast to care for teachers—not just individually, but systemically.

My doctoral research focused on trauma-informed practices in schools, and I’ve spent my career at the intersection of health and education. I believe sustainable change starts with healing—not just for individuals, but for the systems they move through every day.

At Healing Schools Project, we are reimagining what it means to support teachers. We’re creating schools that uplift equity, belonging, and collective care. Because when teachers are well, students and entire communities thrive.