humanity + technology + laughter

compassionate learning spaces
(and a ton of joy)

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Our Foundation
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Our Founder
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Our Team

Explore the power of calmversation™

Our philosophy is that inspiration and understanding are the keys to overcoming learning resistance and nurturing empowered students.

Value and empower

At the calmversation™ learning foundation, we believe in valuing the whole child and empowering them in their learning journey.

Our mission

Our mission is to transform learning landscapes so that students can develop the communication skills and self-expression tools they need to become creative problem solvers and compassionate leaders. As a non-profit organization developing K–12 social emotional learning programs, we help students grow their core communication skills, deepen their capacity for empathy and understanding, and tap into their infinite potential as innovators and thoughtful communicators.

An innovative and resource-rich curriculum designed

calmversation™ is an innovative, resource-rich curriculum designed to deepen and support classroom engagement by facilitating the key skills associated with compassionate confidence: listening, learning, and self-expression.

Inspiring creativity, empathy, and inclusion in the classroom and beyond.

The big impact of a little “c”

Why is the “c” in calmversation lowercase?
It represents equal value — and reflects the inherent and equal value of all children. 

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Meet Jena Sharma 
Founder of the calmversation™ learning foundation

Jena — or Missy Jena as she’s often known — is an education visionary who specializes in leadership and learning. She champions innovation, compassionate and inspired connections in work and learning spaces, and students who quietly (and not so quietly) struggle to make sense of how they fit into the mix of school, life, and learning.

The name calmversation emerged in 2013 while Jena was problem-solving with two children over lego, but the desire to change the learning landscape dates back much further. She began working in the Vancouver Public School System in 2001. What she saw was that, too often, children struggle to see the point of school until after their formal education is over and they’ve gained more life experience. So she began to pay close attention to what actually lights kids up and helps them engage joyfully in their own learning. This is how the idea behind calmversation began to blossom. Read more >>

Jena founded calmversation™   because she’s passionate about ensuring that children have the opportunity to engage with their learning now. Her life’s mission is to leverage the power of meaningful connection and compassionate communication in schools and beyond so that children can show up with their whole selves, engage meaningfully with their learning process, and grow into confident and empowered leaders. 

Listen to Jena speak on Ask Us Anything hosted by Marlon Murr >>

An award-winning presenter who recently spoke at TEDxSFU, Jena graduated with distinction from the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Human and Social Development and is known for designing and implementing solutions that engage, inspire, and deepen learning experiences. 

Get Your Copy

Jena shared about her personal journey and the creation of calmversationTM in “Learning to Understand,” a chapter featured in Voices of the 21st Century: Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Women Who Make a Difference (2018). 

Get your very own signed copy and learn more about her inspiring experience.

Our Team

Since 2016, calmversation™ has been a registered not-for-profit organization in Canada, bringing together a diverse collection of compassionate individuals dedicated to making school an enriching and empowering experience for children.

Over time, we have been lucky to have volunteers, interns, students, and independent contractors join us along our journey. From surveying education professionals, holding forums for parents, and working directly with students to raising awareness about how our innovative curriculum can benefit children at school and at home, these tireless humans have made the calmversation™ learning foundation what it is today.