Institute for Transformative Mentoring Staff Retreat
Project Overview
Professor Kelvin Cooper of Restorative Wellness Playground facilitated a restorative wellness retreat experience for the Institute for Transformative Mentoring staff community.
The retreat was designed as a deeper, immersive space for organizational reflection, grounding, movement, games, trauma-informed practice, and collective restoration.
Through playful engagement, somatic movement, reflective dialogue, and embodied wellness practices, participants were invited to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and build authentic community with one another.
Program Organization and Collaboration
The staff retreat was connected to the Institute for Transformative Mentoring (ITM), a program within the Center for New York City Affairs at the Schools of Public Engagement.
Kelvin shared that the retreat details were connected with William M. Evans, Director of the Institute for Transformative Mentoring, whose work is connected to program culture and community impact.
Restorative Wellness Playground supported the retreat by creating an experience that allowed staff, mentors, and community-centered professionals to pause, reflect, move, connect, and restore together.
Workshop Activities
The retreat focused on integrating restorative wellness, team connection, somatic movement, trauma-informed principles, games, and collective reflection.
Participants engaged in activities such as:
- Grounding and nervous-system regulation practices
- Restorative dialogue and reflective exercises
- Movement-based practices supporting posture, body awareness, and release
- Games and playful activities designed to build trust and connection
- Team-building exercises supporting collaboration and community care
The retreat demonstrated how movement, play, reflection, and embodied practice can help people reconnect with themselves while strengthening how they show up in community and professional spaces.
Participants
The Institute for Transformative Mentoring Staff Retreat supported staff, mentors, cohort participants, and community-centered professionals connected to restorative work and service-based leadership.
Participants reflected on the impact of movement, games, body awareness, team-building, professional development, nervous-system care, inner-child healing, and tools they could bring back to their communities, families, and work environments.
Impact
The retreat created space for people doing meaningful community-centered work to also receive support, care, and restoration.
Participants described the experience as impactful, grounding, healing, reflective, and useful for professional development. The session supported people in releasing tension, relaxing the nervous system, building with their team, and reflecting on why they do the work they do.
This project reflects the broader mission of Restorative Wellness Playground—creating spaces where healing, movement, play, and reflection help individuals and organizations build deeper connection, trust, and collective restoration.
Project Partners
Institute for Transformative Mentoring (ITM)
Host organization
William M. Evans
Director, Institute for Transformative Mentoring
Center for New York City Affairs
Program affiliation
Schools of Public Engagement
Program affiliation
Professor Kelvin Cooper
Restorative Wellness Playground
Participants
ITM staff
Mentors
MAP cohort participants
Community-centered professionals