Nessa Norich

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, CO-FOUNDER & LEAD FACILITATOR

Shine On in Schools is a free-form dance program promoting physical, social and emotional wellness to New York City’s underserved youth.

Our joyful movement laboratory empowers children with creative tools and mindfulness practices that help them to connect more deeply to themselves and their community.

Approach:

We teach social emotional skills through experiential learning, using imaginative play and embodiment as our approach to explore these skills. Pairing theatrical games with contemporary music, we facilitate a playful laboratory for children to explore a deeper connection to self and others.

Theory of Change: Schools are a microcosm of our broader society. Children learn their values and their value here. Our program seeks to ignite creativity, connection, and community in order to combat isolation, depression, and bullying, promoting emotional wellness in NYC underserved schools.

Since we started in 2017, Shine On in Schools visited 14 public schools in the Bronx, reaching more than 1,300 low-income students between 2nd and 8th grade.