Deena Kara Shaffer

Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer (she/her) is Adjunct Faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University, teaching their popular learning+happiness course, and is the Director of the Office of Student and Academic Services for York University's Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. Prior, Deena served as Manager of Thriving Innovations in Student Wellbeing and lecturer in TMU's Psychology Department. Deena is also the Founder and CEO of Awakened Learning, designing compelling learning experiences for students of all ages, parents, and leaders, and the best-selling author of "Feel Good Learning." Deena was a two-term President of the Learning Specialists Association of Canada, a former learning strategist for students with disabilities, and a skilled certified high school teacher. Deena is the co-founder of the now international Thriving in Action academic resilience intervention, and co-author of Thriving in Action Online and Thriving in the Classroom. Deena holds a doctorate in holistic learning strategies, is a trained yoga and mindfulness meditation teacher, is a published poet, and is a public speaker on learning and well-becoming. Deena's ideal day is spent outdoors getting muddy with her kids.