iBme Info Session – May 21, 2022
10:00-10:45 am PT / 1:00-1:45 pm ET | via Zoom
Curious about an iBme retreat?
Join iBme staff, community leaders, and teen alumni in this info session to learn about iBme’s 2022 summer retreat schedule and more. Get the low down on:
- Upcoming retreats for all, including our BIPOC retreat and LGBTQIA+ retreat
- Costs of retreat and scholarships
- What it’s like to be on retreat, from daily schedules to types of activities
- “What if I don’t know what mindfulness is or how to meditate?”
Who will be there?
Tonya Jones Program Strategy, Equity & Community Engagement
Tonya has spent the past 17 years working in the public sector driven by a strong commitment to social justice and equity, collective healing and building stronger, compassionate communities. Before joining iBme, Tonya was the Los Angeles Director at the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a national organization that provides transitional work and permanent job services to the formerly incarcerated. At CEO, she was responsible for overseeing and supporting a diverse staff of 20, along with program development and management, community partnerships, fiscal oversight and working collaboratively with national fund and business development teams. Tonya is a certified mindfulness facilitator (UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior). She is a mentor for UCLA’s Intensive Practice Program, teaching assistant for UCLA’s Mindfulness and Theory course, guest teacher at InsightLA’s POC sangha, and has lectured and facilitated at numerous educational institutions and organizations. Tonya holds a BA from Howard University, MFA from Columbia University, and serves on the UC Irvine Advisory Board for the Customer Experience Certificate Program.
Jacqui Clay Board President, Systems Committee
Board President, Equity and Interdependence Committee Member Photo: Path at Insight Meditation Center
Abigail Lo Teen alum, Equity and Interdependence Committee
Abigail is a junior at Fordham University double majoring in Humanitarian Studies and Theatre Performance (yes, it’s a very long title). As an active part of the theatre community, they’ve spent much of their college career acting, assisting designers, and agonizing over the next set to build in the scene shop. They’ve also worked to bring their activism into theatre: as a co-chair of the Fordham Theatre BIPOC Alliance, Abigail has worked for the past year to hold Fordham Theatre accountable to its stated anti-racist values as well as create a community for other BIPOC students. Outside of theatre, they’ve taken on many leadership positions at Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, and they love tutoring math so they can finally put those high school calculus classes to use. Abigail is also looking forward to attending their fifth and final iBme retreat in December 2021 — without iBme, they could never be where they are today. Their dreams for the future involve off-Broadway acting, working at an NGO for transitional justice, or moving to Sorrento, Italy and eating gelato by the ocean.
Danielle Sewell Mentor for PNW retreat, Mindfulness Educator
Danielle is excited to join the iBme team as a staff mentor and regional outreach coordinator this summer. Danielle has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 2007, and has joyfully spent most of her career in service work. In recent years she got to bring these two passions together by creating a mindfulness program to help reduce stress for thousands of home care workers across Washington state. Seattle born and raised, Danielle’s favorite activities are outside: hiking and backpacking in the mountains, or just growing berries & veggies in her backyard with the help of her cat Leo.
Come hear what iBme can do for you, and get all your questions answered.
Learn about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices! Hear what it’s like to be on retreat, from the real-life day-to-day vibe to what it’s like to sit in silence/not in silence, plus schedules, types of activities and workshops, games and play, being in nature, community building with peers, and more. You’ll also get to hear teen alumni share their personal experiences!