Ab out the Institute
Mission
To cultivate spaces for learning, creativity, and cultural exchange that honor Indigenous and African heritage, inspiring communities to lead with wisdom, freedom, and collective strength.
Our Vision
At the Baobab Teaching Institute, we envision an intergenerational community where arts, discipline, and heritage shape new models of learning, rooted in culture and guided by purpose.
Myriam Dondzina –
Root Builder, Story Weaver, and System Shaper
Myriam Dondzina is a strategist, educator, and cultural practitioner whose work weaves together people, place, and purpose. Over more than two decades, she has designed and led initiatives that join education, movement, and community development—building systems where culture and learning reinforce one another.
Her background spans curriculum design, participatory research, and community-based program development across the United States and Latin America. She has developed and facilitated programs that integrate environmental awareness, food systems, arts, and leadership training. Her practice combines field experience, systems thinking, and deep respect for cultural knowledge as a living technology for transformation.
A seasoned facilitator and network builder, Myriam brings a unique ability to translate big visions into grounded action. She designs processes that help teams align across disciplines, navigate complexity, and move from concept to implementation with clarity and integrity. Her approach to leadership is disciplined and relational—rooted in listening, structure, and shared accountability.
As a movement artist and recognized Mestra of Capoeira Angola, she draws on the philosophy and rhythm of this Afro-Brazilian tradition to guide how she teaches, leads, and builds community. Through years of practice, she has cultivated spaces that emphasize discipline, joy, and collective growth, treating culture not as a performance but as an engine for learning and liberation.
Myriam is also a writer, filmmaker, and creative producer. She established publishing and media platforms that amplify stories of African and Indigenous heritage, merging artistry with education. Her work invites reflection on how knowledge is created, passed on, and embodied through practice.
Across every endeavor, Myriam carries a consistent thread: cultivating systems that honor heritage while making room for innovation. She believes transformation happens when learning is connected to the land, art to action, and people to one another—and she continues to dedicate her life to creating the conditions where that transformation can thrive.
“I stand on the lessons of my mother, father and grandparents, my brothers and sisters, my teachers and coaches, my Mestras, Mestres, bosses, friends, and children. Each of them helped me see more of the world and more of myself. Their love and faith in the power of possibility continue to guide my steps.” -- Myriam Dondzina
