AWBW

For over 30 years A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) has partnered with service providers to incorporate trauma informed, healing art workshops to support the work they do.  AWBW has partners who use the art curriculum with students, their staff, volunteers, to further awareness and fundraising initiatives, and beyond. 

Training Opportunities

The first step in bringing our healing arts curriculum to your school is to attend one of our Facilitator Trainings. You can become a Certified Windows Facilitator by either: 

  1. Attending our 2 Day Facilitator Training, held virtually live on Zoom. This is an experiential and immersive training that empowers you to lead someone through the creative process from their lived experience rather than a theoretical perspective.

  2. Taking the On-Demand Facilitator Training, a great cost effective option for those unable to attend a virtual live training.


PLUS, both trainings include these ongoing benefits. 

Fill out this quick form to receive emails about training opportunities.  

Email: trainings@awbw.org for questions & information. 

Free Art Workshop Worksheets 

We invite you to use and share AWBW’s free art workshop resources:

Workshops

Through a fruitful collaboration between AWBW and the AVANZA program at the Lennox School District, a workbook was developed aiming at enhancing the creative expression and emotional well-being for students and families. This workbook, “Home is Where the Heart is,” serves as a tool to support students and families with expression, regulation, and connection. 

Each theme in this workbook is intentionally sequenced to support participants with: exploring safety and what it means to them, identifying feelings, practicing self regulation, building resilience, and creating gratitude and affirmation practices. Each of these 5 themes have 2 to 4 workshops, for a total of 15 workshops offered in English and Spanish. 

“Home is Where the Heart is” is available for you to download above. To administer a workshop, we encourage you to get started by watching AWBW’s Curriculum Specialist, Carla Vargas, facilitate the Connecting to Our Strength art workshop with students below.

For further tips, please consider downloading our Facilitator Guide. Take this whenever you go to find tips that will help you create a safe/brave space for you and your participants. 

Meet the AWBW Team

  • Rudy Hernandez

    Windows Program Director

    Rudy works closely with the Executive Director to guide the engagement & development of our nationwide community of Windows Facilitators and program partners of AWBW's trauma-informed arts programming. Before making his way to AWBW, Rudy was a trained AWBW Program Facilitator at Women's and Children's Crisis Shelter, an emergency domestic violence shelter in Los Angeles County. While there, Rudy coordinated workshops and regularly contributed to AWBW's expanding curriculum. Rudy holds a BA in Liberal Studies and an MA in Education Curriculum and Instruction from California State University, Long Beach.

  • Christy Turek Rials

    AWBW Training & Outreach Director

    Christy directs all aspects of AWBW's live and on demand trauma-informed art facilitation trainings and outreach initiatives. She began her work with AWBW as a trained Program Facilitator at the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley’s Outreach and Shelter Programs. She has also facilitated groups with incarcerated survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of trauma. Christy deeply believes in seeing the light in all people and environments, striving to create a world with healing and equity for all. She lives this personal mission in her work as a trainer and art workshop facilitator by supporting others in utilizing creative expressions to connect to their resilience and practice self-care.

  • Carla Vargas

    AWBW Curriculum Specialist

    As the Curriculum Specialist, Carla develops and designs comprehensive workshops, worksheets, and resources for our AWBW Facilitators and Community of Practice. Carla attended California State University Long Beach for her undergraduate psychology degree and obtained her master's degree in counseling at California State University Fullerton. Carla has prior experience working as an AWBW Facilitator, therapist trainee, outreach and youth client advocate at a domestic violence agency, and an educator. Carla is passionate about working with youth and adolescents and uplifting the voices of BIPOC folxs through art and creativity.