Context matters in behavior.

Dr. Dawne Washington provides culturally grounded, systems-based workshops and consulting services focused on child development, behavior, and environmental influences. Her work supports schools and organizations in understanding behavior through context, culture, and community.


  • Brown Girl’s Vision provides culturally grounded, systems-based consulting and professional development focused on understanding behavior through context, culture, and community. The work centers on how environmental, socioeconomic, and institutional factors shape child development, behavior, and organizational outcomes.

  • Brown Girl’s Vision approaches behavior through the lens of culture, context, and systems—recognizing that lasting change occurs when environments, not just individuals, are addressed

  • Using cultural–ecological and trauma-informed frameworks, Brown Girl’s Vision supports schools, agencies, and organizations in creating responsive, equitable, and developmentally appropriate environments.

Workshop & Consulting Services

Understanding Environmental Influences on Child Development

This workshop examines how environmental, cultural, socioeconomic, and systemic factors influence child development and behavior. Using a cultural–ecological and systems-based framework, the training supports educators, administrators, and organizations in understanding behavior as an adaptive response to lived experiences, rather than isolated misconduct.

Grounded in the work of John Berry (cultural–ecological framework), W.E.B. Du Bois (double consciousness), and John Ogbu (culture as a caste theory), this workshop equips professionals to respond to behavior with greater insight, equity, and effectiveness.

Who This Workshop Is For

  • Public, charter, and private schools

  • Educators and instructional staff

  • School administrators and leadership teams

  • Community organizations serving children and families

  • Youth-serving agencies

What Participants Will Learn

Participants will gain the ability to:

  • Understand how culture, community, and systems shape behavior

  • Identify environmental stressors that impact emotional regulation and learning

  • Distinguish developmental stress responses from behavioral pathology

  • Recognize the role of identity, language, and acculturative stress

  • Apply trauma-informed and culturally responsive strategies in practice

Workshop Topics Include

  • Environmental and socioeconomic influences on development

  • Cultural identity, belonging, and behavior

  • Language, bilingualism, and emotional regulation

  • Trauma, chronic stress, and adaptive responses

  • Development versus behavioral red flags

  • Schools as protective and stabilizing environments

Workshop Format

  • Interactive and discussion-based

  • Case scenarios and applied activities

  • Designed for professional development settings

Available Formats:

  • 60-minute session

  • 90-minute session (recommended)

  • Half-day professional development

Workshops are offered virtually or in person and may be customized to the geographic, cultural, and community context of the organization.

Consulting Approach

Dr. Dawne Washington’s consulting work focuses on the intersection of behavior and systems, examining how organizational structures, policies, community conditions, and cultural dynamics influence individual and group behavior. This approach supports schools and organizations in addressing challenges at both the micro (individual) and macro (systemic) levels.

About the Facilitator

Dr. Dawne Washington is a Behavior & Systems Consultant with expertise in child development, cultural–ecological theory, trauma-informed practice, and systemic analysis. Her work centers on supporting schools, organizations, and communities in creating environments that promote emotional safety, equity, and sustainable behavioral outcomes.

Booking & Inquiries

For workshop inquiries, customization options, or consulting services, please contact:

Email: dawnewashington@yahoo.com

Phone: 609-269-4838/1-888-602-4958