Meet Rel & Jan
Kinder Communities co-founders, Rel Katiforis and Janet Davies, have spent decades working to create more compassionate environments in schools and associated institutions around Australia. Their aligned thinking and experience made it clear they share the same passion for bystander education, and a determination to develop wellbeing programs that deliver sustained outcomes in the education community.
Kinder Communities is the result.
Rel Katiforis
That's her on the right!
Rel's diverse experience in education spans more than 30 years, from early childhood teaching to developing and delivering social and well-being programs that complement academic curricula. Roles as an early childhood leading teacher and Assistant Principal provided a strong foundation for work with organisations like Ozchild, White Ribbon and Nirodah.
As a General Manager with Nirodah, Rel collaborated with psychologists and educators on mental health, emotional intelligence, and violence prevention programs for schools, businesses, and sporting clubs.
An educational program co-created by Rel was the Respect Ambassador Program, designed to enable students to use emotional intelligence as a means to reduce violence in our community. Students use role plays, art therapy and physical education as tools to present strong violence prevention messages to their communities to help connect the partnerships between home and school.
As well, Rel has worked alongside other organisations such as NRL Melbourne Storm, NECA, Mahana Culture and Victorian Women Trust to build and co-facilitate violence prevention programs such as Be the Hero, Club Respect, and WISE Guys. She has also facilitated several parent-based programs for anxiety and girls education.
As a practising teacher, Rel continues to promote kindness in every aspect of her work.
Janet Davies
That's her on the left!
With a background in fine arts and graphic design, Janet has trained in art therapy and in mental health first aid. During her years working at Nirodah, Janet helped create and facilitate a school-based program called Play to your Strengths that focuses on the practical value of positive psychology. Developed in partnership with St Kilda Football Club, Play to your Strengths was successfully rolled out in primary and secondary schools across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
She worked with the Victorian Women’s Trust in the development of Club Respect, in partnership with Melbourne Storm, along with helping develop an inclusion and gender equality workshop for the Carlton Football Club, called Carlton Listens to Women.
Janet had extensive involvement delivering various other educational programs, including REAL girls; WISE Guys and facilitating the Respect Ambassador Program, a training program for teachers and community members implemented in Tasmania on behalf of the Salvation Army’s Communities for Children.