Late last century, Janoel discovered her delight in helping people shine through learning in groups. With diverse roles in education over the last 30 years, from training in TAFE, lecturing at La Trobe University and coordinating an MBA program with the Australian Institute of Management, to training secondary school teachers in trauma-informed learning, she has developed her skills in creating positive group dynamics in a safer, well- organised learning experience.

Janoel’s commitment to group facilitation as a craft began in 2015 after doing Groupwork Centre’s 2-day training. After over a decade in education, she saw the opportunity to develop her skills in this area and intentionally develop awareness in helping people work well together. This led to her completing the Advanced Diploma in Group Facilitation and bringing this collaborative focus into all of her work, including management of a Vocational Education and Training (VET) program in secondary schools across Victoria.

Janoel also has a passion for supporting young people as well as program design, and has developed programs in a wide range of topics, from puberty and wellbeing and gender equity for young people as a long-term prevention against family violence, to creating a trauma-informed learning space in secondary schools. She trains menstrual educators internationally with Chalice Foundation’s Leadership Team and menstrual and menopausal wellbeing seminars with Chalice Foundation’s WorkCycle.

Janoel delivers practical group experiences based on awareness of learners’ needs, including neurodiversity and the ongoing effects of trauma. It’s not enjoyable for most people to sit still and passively receive information for hours! Her work features easy-to-engage content with a bit of fun, because people learn best when they feel good. Janoel geeks out on neuroscience and positive psychology, and her hunger for continuous learning in this space has helped her polish her skills in creating engaging group work.