Capacity Building Initiative

Building Intentional Communities

The Building Intentional Communities model is designed to deepen the integration of core values into programming, shift program climate towards inclusion and engagement and provide youth with leadership opportunities to develop into well-rounded critical thinkers and citizens.

Initiative Overview

Be the Change believes every young person has the desire to learn and that every teacher seeks the skills to create the conditions to cultivate authentic engagement and learning. Our approach and work are grounded in three main frameworks.

The Positive Youth Development framework is the doorway into our practice. This approach guides practitioners on,” how to engage youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances young people’s strengths; and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths.”
We pair this framework with our own River Guide, that describes the intentional journey to integrate youth development practices and developmental skills into your program and classroom designs. It is based on the metaphor of youth and their instructors who enter a river in small rafts, embarking on a journey. The river has four phases that coincide with Bruce Tuckman’s theory of group development.
We use CASEL’s Transformative Social Emotional Learning as our reflection component to help authentic partnering among students and adults with a deep focus on sharing power and decision-making between young people, educators, families, and communities.

We overlay three core theories with experiential, human centered learning because we believe that when these philosophies overlap and intersect in the right way we can cultivate communities that will guide and support young people to progress to healthy productive adulthood and emerge as citizens of character.

Building Intentional Communities

3-Part Training

For All Staff

Building Intentional Communities

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About The Trainers

Sangita Kumar

Principal & Founder

Sangita Kumar (she/her) is the design architect behind our “Becoming an Antiracist Organization” series. She is a results-based organizational development consultant. Her expert facilitation is dedicated to the empowerment of individuals and our communities. Sangita’s experience over 15+ years includes coaching, professional development, strategic planning, program design, and curriculum development. Sangita holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Development, is a Certified Life Coach, and completed a two-year certification in Somatics and Trauma. She is learning to ride her electric bike around Oakland on Ohlone land.

Jae Maldonado

Director of Training and Business Development

Jae Maldonado is a people centric, strategic thinker, with over 15 years of demonstrated success in developing cross-sector programs that advance racial and gender equity. His unique experience as a transmasculine identified Latinx activist has enabled him to lead from the intersections of movements that center the experiences of those most impacted by institutional violence. In his role with Be The Change, Jae continues to draw from his extensive field experience to create spaces for self-care that support change agents with the physical, emotional, and mental strength to realize racial justice. Jae is a recipient of the 2017 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity and has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Seton Hall University. In his free time Jae enjoys walking his dog snoopy and contemplating the revolution.

Fong Marcolongo

Director of Training and Capacity Building

Fong (she/her/hers) is a bridge-builder, community capacity builder, and youth development advocate dedicated to supporting communities of color to lead their own transformations. Her expertise resides in the design/implementation of experiential human-centered learning, culturally competent youth leadership development, positive youth development trainings, experiential curriculum development and collaborative team management. She specializes in creating interactive visual frameworks for group collaboration and strategic visioning. Fong has over 15 years of working in the non-profit sector. Her passion is to support the youth development and education field to build the capacities of their leaders. Fong received her BS in Political Science and holds a Master’s in Global Affairs. When she is not working, Fong is propagating plants, stumbling on roller skates, and keeping up with her energetic 8-year old while catching moments of joy with her family.

Franklin Hysten

Trainer/Coach

Franklin Hysten (he/him) is committed to creating transformative experiences that strengthen youth and their communities. Drawing on 18 years of experience developing leaders in youth development, philanthropy and government -based organizations, he supports Be the Change Consulting’s organizational consulting portfolio, which includes program design, logic modeling, and strategic planning for organizations state-wide. He also manages the youth development portfolio for high-school aged-youth, with a focus on restorative practices. His strong background in youth development has afforded him the opportunity to train and coach emerging non-profit professionals and share best practices with staff, managers and funders.

Russell G. Jones

Trainer/Coach

Russell G. Jones (he/him) is a youth development expert, equity consultant, and an Audelco, Obie and SAG Award winning actor to boot. He is the founder of BLIND SPOT, a campaign that facilitates cross-cultural dialogue and critical thinking so more of us can recognize and resist both internalized and systemic racial oppression. Most recently he was a series regular opposite Edie Falco in CBS’ Tommy. In his twenty plus years in the NY Tri-State area, he has also served as a director, facilitator, moderator, and teaching artist creating multiple programs, workshops, and curriculum. He was an active member of LAByrinth Theater Company for over 20 years.

Rooben Morgan

Trainer/Coach

Rooben Morgan (he/him) is a seasoned after-school educator, trainer, and coach with a home, jobs, and friends in the Bay Area. He has worked on curriculum building, namely for afterschool spaces to focus on SEL and individualized learning. He is also a fervent advocate of collective bargaining for afterschool staff, so they can rightfully receive appropriate wages, proper training, and fair representation. When not trying to impress no one with his non-existent dancing skills, he can be seen wandering amongst the woods, wearing a contemplative look, just breathing.

Jenjii Hysten

Trainer/Coach

Jenjii Hysten (she/her) is an advocate, teacher, student, facilitator and a voice for the voiceless. In her 15+ years Jenjii has served as a Program Director, Executive Director, Dean of Students, Curriculum Designer. Jenjii holds a BA in Interdisciplinary-Studies-Urban Economic Development (UCB), is an Ordained Reverend, holds a Compass point ED certificate and is currently pursuing a Certified Life Coach certificate. As a coach Jenjii can quickly assess complex organizational issues and develop creative solutions to problems. She utilizes the power of metaphors and storytelling to connect program challenges to theoretical frameworks. Jenjii is a great cook and enjoys biking, reading and exploring new places with her husband and two sons.

Aminta Steinbach

Director of Climate , Culture, & Equity

Aminta Steinbach (she/her) infuses her expertise in shaping climate, culture & equity practices across all our offerings at Be the Change, where she’s been a leader for 8+ years. In her previous 20 years working with young people, Aminta has been a Program Coordinator, Youth Leadership Instructor and Program Director. Aminta majored in Community Studies, has studied Recreational Program Design and is a Certified Self Defense Instructor. Her areas of expertise as a capacity builder include Cultural Responsiveness, Health and Safety Awareness and Community Building. Aminta has a black belt in Kung Fu, and when not working you can usually find her kicking and punching her way to a more peaceful world. She lives in Berkeley on Ohlone land.

Lauren Martinez

Manager of Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Initiatives

Lauren Martinez (they/them) makes every event we host pop with music for the movement! As Manager of Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Initiatives, Lauren’s presence makes everything move smoothly and with care. They are currently pursuing both a Master’s of Social Change and Master of Divinity at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA- known for being the “most progressive school in the United States.” With a background in Education and Youth Development, Lauren is dedicated to standing with people, especially youth of color through spiritual embodiment and a social justice healing lens. They live in Berkeley on Ohlone land.

Makaena Durias

Production Engineer + Zoom Host

Makaena (she/they) joins Be The Change Consulting as a part time specialist in technology platforms like ZOOM and Google Apps. In her role, she ensures BTCC client’s have a positive user experience during a training session and supports the needs of clients pre and post session. Her past experiences working at the Kindergarten Readiness Study at Oregon State and with Portland Parks & Recreation have influenced her commitment to working to improve the lives and educational opportunities of youth and individuals in underserved communities. She earned her Bachelor in Spanish and Philosophy from Oregon State University and currently lives in Corvallis, Oregon. She is also an avid writer and singer.

Naima Porter

Zoom Host

Naima Porter (she/her) is an art student from Los Angeles, California, who has been studying photography at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City for the past two years. After deciding to take a leave of absence from school due to COVID-19, Naima joined with BeThe Change Consulting as a Zoom Host to provide a successful and comfortable learning environment during training sessions. Naima spends most days utilizing her creativity through different art forms, tending to her garden, and spending time with loved ones.

Carlee Adamson

Trainer/Coach

Carlee Adamsons work combines experiences healing her own childhood trauma with 15 years of classroom teaching, facilitating and coaching in Oakland’s public schools.She has trained with Peter Levine, leader in the field of Somatic Psychology, through the Trauma Institute as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and incorporate an understanding of the impact of trauma on the body/ mind/ emotions from this training into my work with educators. She began her my own classroom cultivating practices to support deep listening and identity safety understanding that these are foundational to deep learning. For the past 8 years, Carlee has shared these approaches and practices with organizational leaders, educators, direct service providers, and parents to support them in understanding trauma and its impact on learning and to guide them in building their capacity to create sanctuary spaces for those they serve to heal and learn and grow.

Carlee partners with a cadre of educators, coaches, and leaders who have engaged the Trauma Literacy framework and embody its principles in their work.

Organizations Trust Us

Hundreds of organizations trust Be the Change to train their teams.

Here are just a few

Lisette Ostrander

Director of Education at Beyond Differences

Sarah Wan

Executive Director at CYC

Priscilla Parchia

Program Manager, Expanded Learning

Ay'Anna Moody

Director, Social Impact & Generation Thrive

Rodd Lee

Assistant General Manager, External Affairs

Erin Gutiérrez

Director of Learning & Development

Ariana Bayer

Manager of Family Programs

Pam Connie

Jill Nielsen

Felix Caraballo

PMB

P. Marcia Brown

Deanna Grant-Curtis

Carla Williams-Namboodiri

Profesora de Inglés y Humanidades, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional Middle School English and Humanities Teacher

MAT

Mei Ann Teo

Assoc Artistic Director, Director of New Work, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

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