Guiding Principles
Equity & Inclusion
Systemic and Sustainable Transformation
Systemic and Sustainable Transformation
Ensure all practices and professional development offerings are designed to eliminate systemic inequities and foster inclusive environments that uplift historically marginalized communities.
Systemic and Sustainable Transformation
Systemic and Sustainable Transformation
Systemic and Sustainable Transformation
Advocate for tiered, systemic approaches to social-emotional learning and anti-racist education that impact individual classrooms, schools, and entire communities, ensuring long-lasting change.
Cultural Responsiveness
Systemic and Sustainable Transformation
Strength-Based Development
Empower educators to honor and incorporate their students' diverse cultural backgrounds, experiences, and identities into teaching and learning practices to create affirming and engaging classrooms.
Strength-Based Development
Restorative & Relational Practices
Strength-Based Development
Focus on developing boy-friendly and student-centered classrooms that build on students' strengths and foster resilience, engagement, and academic success.
Restorative & Relational Practices
Restorative & Relational Practices
Restorative & Relational Practices
Replace punitive approaches with restorative strategies that promote accountability, healing, and rebuilding trust within school communities, emphasizing relationships over discipline.
Collaborative Partnerships
Restorative & Relational Practices
Restorative & Relational Practices
Engage families, community stakeholders, and school leaders as essential partners in co-creating solutions, fostering a shared commitment to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and nurturing student success.
Getting Your Shift Together Services
Professional Development
Evaluations & Assessments
Evaluations & Assessments
Comprehensive, hands-on learning experiences through targeted training, personalized coaching, and customized consultations designed to ensure lasting implementation of effective educational strategies.
Evaluations & Assessments
Evaluations & Assessments
Evaluations & Assessments
Evidence-based assessments that measure program effectiveness and guide institutional growth through strategic data collection and actionable insights.
Family & Community Engagement
Family & Community Engagement
Family & Community Engagement
Foster collaboration between schools, families, and community stakeholders, creating shared accountability and aligning efforts to dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline.
Virtual Events
Family & Community Engagement
Family & Community Engagement
Monthly interactive online sessions combining instructor-led discussions, topical webinars, and Q&A to support ongoing learning.
Empowering All Learning through Specialized Services
Classrooms that Champion Boys' Brilliance
Classrooms that Champion Boys' Brilliance
Classrooms that Champion Boys' Brilliance
Championing boys' brilliance in the classroom involves creating dynamic, engaging environments that recognize and nurture the unique ways boys learn and express themselves. Our approach includes designing classrooms incorporating hands-on learning, movement, and collaborative projects, aligning with boys' natural energy and creativity. We provide educators with strategies for fostering emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-regulation while also addressing behavioral and social needs. By offering targeted professional development in these areas, we empower teachers to create spaces that inspire boys to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, unlocking their true potential.
Empowering Exceptional Learners to Thrive
Classrooms that Champion Boys' Brilliance
Classrooms that Champion Boys' Brilliance
Empowering exceptional learners to thrive involves creating inclusive classrooms where students' unique strengths are acknowledged and their individual needs are supported with tailored interventions. Our approach includes personalized learning strategies, differentiated instruction, and adaptive technologies that enhance engagement and promote success. We also offer training for educators on behavior management, social-emotional learning, and how to create supportive classroom environments that foster growth. By providing these critical supports, we ensure that exceptional learners have the tools to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
About Us
We Are on a Mission to Make Shift Happen
At Affinity Culture Education, our mission is to transform educational experiences by empowering educators with research-driven, equity-focused strategies that address systemic barriers in learning. We specialize in developing holistic approaches to social-emotional learning that recognize the unique challenges faced by marginalized students.
What Makes this SHIFT Different
Through targeted training, comprehensive assessment, and organizational consulting, we support educational institutions in creating more responsive, culturally aware, and emotionally intelligent learning environments. We specialize in providing high-quality professional development training for teachers in areas such as anti-racist teaching, culturally responsive practices, social-emotional learning, restorative practices, instructional strategies, and special education. Our work is rooted in a deep commitment to dismantling oppressive educational structures and providing every student with the opportunity to thrive.
When Shift Gets Real: Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline
The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the systemic practices and policies that disproportionately push Black, Brown, and historically marginalized students out of educational settings and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This pipeline is fueled by inequitable disciplinary practices, implicit bias, underfunded schools, lack of culturally relevant curricula, and over-reliance on punitive measures such as suspensions, expulsions, and school-based arrests. Students with disabilities and those from low-income backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to these practices, perpetuating cycles of inequality and disenfranchisement.