Meet
Chanita
Educator. Youth Guide. Advocate for Self-Study.
Professional
I am a professional educator, youth guide, and advocate for self-study with nearly 20 years of experience supporting young people in their growth and development.
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As a National Board Certified Teacher and special educator, my work has centered students navigating complex learning, identity, and life transitions. Over the years, I have helped young people build confidence, develop self-awareness, and strengthen the habits and mindsets needed to direct their own lives.
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Through Lightbearers’ Institute, I focus on guiding young people through one of the most important stages of life: the transition into adulthood.
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My work centers helping young people develop the inner foundation needed to become confident, self-directed adults.
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I partner with parents, educators, and communities who believe young people deserve more than academic preparation alone—they deserve the opportunity to deeply understand themselves and intentionally shape the lives they want to live.
Invest in the human soul.
Mary McLeod Bethune
The Liberation Equation
A Framework for Self-Directed Adulthood
My work is grounded in a simple but powerful framework:
The Liberation Equation
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Self-Discovery + Self-Determination + Self-Discipline
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Young people are often expected to make life-shaping decisions without first developing the inner capacities needed to direct their own lives.
The Liberation Equation focuses on building those capacities.
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Self-Discovery
Young people learn to understand who they are—their values, strengths, identity, and aspirations.
Self-Determination
Young people develop the confidence and agency to make intentional choices about their lives.
Self-Discipline
Young people build the habits, emotional regulation, and follow-through needed to turn intention into action.
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Together, these capacities support young people in stepping into adulthood with clarity, confidence, and direction.
Who I Serve
My work centers young people, 12-21, navigating the transition into adulthood—especially those seeking greater clarity, confidence, and direction as they shape their lives.
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Many are asking questions such as:
• Who am I?
• What kind of life do I want to build?
• What are my strengths and purpose?
• How do I develop the discipline to follow through?
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While this work supports young people from many backgrounds, my experience and commitment are deeply rooted in supporting youth from historically marginalized communities, particularly Black youth, whose brilliance and potential have too often been overlooked or constrained by inequitable systems.
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Through coaching, education, and partnership with families and communities, I help young people develop the self-awareness, self-determination, and self-discipline needed to step into adulthood with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Professional Resume
Education
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Master Teacher
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B.S. Special Education​
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M.Ed. Sp.Ed. Curriculum Adaptation
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Veteran 6-12th classroom teacher
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National Board Certified Teacher- Exceptional Needs Specialist
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Life Coach, Certified by The Brave Thinking Institute
Youth Activism
Writing and Publications
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Advice for New Teachers, 2019
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TRHT Racial Healing Practitioner, 2018-Present
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LDA 58th Annual International Conference Feb. 2021
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Education as Reparations Feb. 2022
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TEDx Speaker, Missouri S&T's Chain Reaction Oct. 2022
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IL Council for Exceptional Children Conference Nov. 2022