Glossary
defining Words in our about us
Empower (verb)
To give someone confidence, strength, or the ability to do something they couldn't do before.
Ex. when a teacher believes in you and that belief empowers you to believe in yourself.
Compassionate (adjective)
Caring deeply about others' feelings and wanting to help when they're struggling or in pain; not just feeling sorry for someone, actually wanting to make things better for them.
Transformed (adjective)
Changed completely into something different; it's a big, major change, not just a small tweak.
Ex. how a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly through metamorphosis.
Historically (adverb)
Throughout history; things that have happened over a long period of time in the past.
Ex. "historically, women weren't allowed to vote" means for most of history until about 100 years ago.
Trauma-informed (adjective)
An approach that understands some people have been through really hard or scary experiences that still affect them. It means being extra thoughtful and gentle because you know past difficult experiences might make certain things harder for people.
Considerate (adjective)
Thoughtful about other people's feelings and needs. Someone who's considerate thinks about how their actions might affect others before they do something.
Interdependence (noun)
When people or things depend on each other and need each other to succeed.
Ex. how bees need flowers for food and flowers need bees to spread pollen. They help each other out and share interdependence.
Envisioning (verb)
Imagining or picturing something in your mind, especially something you hope will happen in the future.
Ex. envisioning what your dream house would look like.
Culturally sustaining (adjective)
Keeping cultures alive and strong, helping people hold onto and celebrate their traditions, languages, and ways of life instead of losing them.
Linguistic (adjective)
Related to language and how we speak or communicate. Your linguistic skills are your abilities with language.
Perspectives (noun, plural)
Different ways of looking at or thinking about something based on your own experiences and background.
Ex. how two people might see the same situation completely differently are two different perspectives.
Catalysts (noun, plural)
Things that cause change to happen or speed up a process. In science, it's something that speeds up a chemical reaction. In life, it's something that sparks change or action.
Equity (noun)
Fairness that recognizes different people need different things to have the same opportunities. It's not just treating everyone the same (equality), but giving people what they specifically need to succeed.
Prosperity (noun)
Success, wealth, and doing well in life—having enough money and resources to live comfortably and thrive.
Marketable (adjective)
Something that can be sold or is valuable to others in a business sense.
Ex. a marketable skill is a skill that employers want and will pay for.
Praxis (noun)
Putting ideas and theories into actual practice; doing something in real life, not just thinking or talking about it. It's the combination of thinking and doing.
Integration (noun)
Combining different things together into one whole, or including everyone together instead of keeping them separate.
Ex. The integration of schools meant students of all races could go to school together.
Sustained (adjective)
Continued over a long time without stopping; kept going steadily.
Ex. Sustained effort means you keep trying hard over weeks, months, or years.
Foster (verb)
To encourage something to grow and develop.
Ex. To foster a friendship means helping it grow stronger, or to foster creativity means creating conditions where creativity can bloom.
Expressive (adjective)
Showing your feelings, thoughts, or creativity clearly, especially through art, movement, or how you communicate.
Ex. An expressive dancer shows emotion through their movements.
Reflection (noun)
Thinking carefully about something that happened, what you learned, or how you feel about it. It's like looking back at an experience to understand it better.
Essential (adjective)
Absolutely necessary; something you can't do without. Essential means it's not optional; you really need it.
Examine (verb)
To look at something very carefully and closely to understand it better or find out more about it.
Ex. To examine your mistakes means really thinking about what went wrong and why.