Our programs help kids connect
We make one simple request of participants: be brave and bold—reach across differences and be surprised by the commonalities you discover.
Kids with access to a trusted adult are 5.7 times more likely to develop the skills they need to succeed in life.
Source: BMC Psychology
Our history
We've been facilitating social-emotional learning since 1996.
That’s long enough to see the kids in our first programs become the parents of kids sitting in our circles today.
Salt Spring Women Opposed to Violence and Abuse (SWOVA) became a registered charity in 1996
We rebranded as The Circle Education in 2020 to better reflect our work
In 2026, we celebrate 30 years teaching kids how to build healthy relationships
Why a circle?
When you sit in a circle, everyone is equal, able to look one another in the the eyes and listen fully.
When our facilitators meet with students, they gather in a circle. It's the simplest thing we do, and the most powerful.
Skills build from kindergarten to grade 12
We meet kids where they are and stay with them as they grow.
Friendship
Project
K- Grade 2
- Recognizing emotions
- Setting boundaries
- Showing gratitude
Empathy
Project
Grade 3-5
- Mindfullness
- Fairness
- Emotions
- Trust
- Kindness
Respect
Project
Grades 6-8
- Labels
- Communication
- Consent
- Self-Confidence
Trust
Project
Grades 9-10
- Trust
- Decision-making
- Showing up responsibly
Pass
It On
Grades 9-12
- Identity
- Relationships
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Resilience
- Self-love
We’ve shaped two generations of compassionate kids
est. 1996
30+ years helping kids learn to connect
600+
Gulf Island students participate every year
250+
Adults trained in social-emotional skills and tools for working with youth
Read our annual reports
Each report includes:
- program impact numbers
- a financial summary
- stories from the students, educators, and communities we serve
2024- 2025 Annual Report - The Circle Salt Spring Education Society
2023- 2024 Annual Report - The Circle Salt Spring Education Society
2022- 2023 Annual Report - The Circle Salt Spring Education Society
2021- 2022 Annual Report - The Circle Salt Spring Education Society
2020- 2021 Annual Report - The Circle Salt Spring Education Society
2019 - 2020 Annual Report - The Circle Salt Spring Education Society
Our allies help extend our impact
Have a say in our circle
Circle members help fund and inform our work.
For $20 a year, your membership:
- Shows foundations, who fund 86% of our operations, that our community believes social-emotional education matters
- Gives you voting rights at our AGM and input opportunities on our organizational decisions
- Keeps you connected with a monthly newsletter
*Source: OECD
Thank you to our sponsors
Meet our team
We value connection, respect, courage, diversity and innovation.
Staff
Janine Fernandes-Hayden
Executive Director
Kate Nash
Program Facilitation,
Training, and Development
Marcia Jansen
Communications
and Event Coordinator
Facilitators
Patrick Howlett
Pass It On Boys
Facilitator
Lyyli Kennedy
Pass It On Girls
Facilitator
Board of Directors
Lisa MacLean
Board Chair
Oliva Lastname
Board Secretary
Dan Adair
Treasurer
Christina Adair
Director-at-Large
Olivia Hayne
Director-at-Large
Devon McLeod
Director-at-Large
Nick MacKinnon
Director-at-Large
Janine Fernandes-Hayden
Executive Director
Kate Nash
Program Facilitation,
Training, and Development
Marcia Jansen
Communications
and Event Coordinator
Thank you to our alumni
We couldn’t have done this work without everyone who came before us.
If you’re an alumni and don’t see your name here, please email [email protected] and we’ll add you.
Staff + Facilitators
Christina Antonik
Robert Birch
Liz Bradshaw
Eland Bronstein
Sharyn Carroll
Randie Clark
Chris Clarke
Kiran Dhingra
Angela Dione
Bryan Dubien
Janine Fernandes-Hayden
Zack Hemstreet
Patrick Howlett
Marcia Jansen
Sam Jensen
Lyyli Kennedy
Erin Lee
Brandon Lenters
Megan Manning-Burton
Adele Mark
Sean Mulligan
Alessandra Nacarato
Kate Nash
David Norget
Cameron Novack
Angelo Rosso
Andria Scanloon
Abbey Sherwood
Daniel Squizzaro
Nicola Temmel
Kevin Vowles
Karie Watters
Board Members
Dan Adair
Tina Adair
Tania Aguila
Elizabeth Bastien
Sarah Belkap
Gail Bryn-Jones
Marcia Burton
Lorna Cammaert
Jaki Chantler
Heidi Cowan
James Cowan
Karen Curtin
Kim Dalton
Leslie DeAthe
Eric Dempster
Kiran Dhingra
Jean Elder
Eric Ellis
Katie Fisher
Lorna Fraser
Chris Gay
Cynthia Gillis
Debbi Harris-Funfer
Olivia Hayne
Wendy Herbert
Cheryl Heykoop
Sarah Hook-Nilsson
Christine Hunt
Richard Kerr
KK Labis
Andrea Little
Dan Logan
Karen Love
Nicholas MacKinnon
Lisa Maclean
Anne Marshall
Karena McCallister
Janice McLean
Gail Meyer
Linda Quinn
Bill Steadwill
Zelly Taylor
Ian Thomas
Judy Thompson
Volunteers
Michelee Barszcz
Maryann Bird
Gail Bryn-Jones
Kim Dalton
Jon Debrun
Susan Gordon
Summer Hilderbrant
Jane Holmes
Richard Kerr
Indigo Lainas
Dennis Lucarelli
Natalie Moore
Kalius Nash
Andrea Palframan
Samantha Sanderson
Piet Suess
Sylvia Walters
Maggie Ziegler
Alumni photos
SWOVA Board, 2001
Facilitators Ahava Shira and our first male facilitator Robert Birch with role Christina Antonick, ####
Caption here - Janine to write
Train in our evidence-based programs
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