Five on Fridays: Grace N. Maina

Today’s “5 on Fridays” comes from Grace N. Maina, an international education expert, founder of AfriEd Brook Consulting Services, and a Ph.D. student in the Department of Educational Psychology at Kenyatta University in Kenya. She recently received the National Gallant EcoAware award by Vision Eco Edu Consult and Research Trust in recognition of her role in supporting Kenya in mainstreaming the concept of sustainable development in ongoing curriculum reform. Grace is also a member of the 2025-2026 Greater Good Educators Program, and she hopes to bring a similar communities of practice model to her networks in Kenya.

We asked Grace the following questions to get a glimpse inside her world of mindfulness and mental health practices.

1. Who or what is a source of inspiration for you these days?

Using my vision board to professionally narrow down to areas I would like to focus on inspires me to provide professional educational expertise to foster quality holistic education.

2. What are you currently reading?

I am reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey and The Formative Five by Thomas R. Hoerr. I am learning that personal victory can be achieved if I consider both the principle of ‘having the Beginning with the End in Mind’ and the skill of grit.

3. What is a scientific concept related to well-being and/or prosocial education (SEL, character education, mindfulness, culture of care, etc.) that you wish was better understood and/or applied in education systems?

Mental health education. Most education systems, especially in Africa, tend to focus on academic achievement at the expense of other dimensions that affect the overall well-being of the learner. Effective mainstreaming of mental health in the curriculum will certainly support the learner to thrive emotionally, socially, academically, and morally.

4. Do you think there are “universal truths” in the area of prosocial education? If yes, please give an example. If not, please share more about your thinking.

Prosocial feelings and actions are natural human experiences. Prosocial behaviour expressed in voluntary acts such as sharing resources, empathy, caring, among other voluntary acts of kindness, contribute towards the psychological well-being of the recipient. On the other hand, people who are more prosocial tend to feel more accepted, an attribute that enhances their social-emotional well-being. This supports the argument that prosocial behaviour benefits the individual as much as it does others. Prosocial behaviour brings joy to both the recipient and giver.

5. What do you wish was included in educator preparation programs to support prospective educators in learning about student and teacher well-being and resilience?

I wish the concept of social-emotional learning in the teacher education curriculum was included in all educator preparation programs. Incorporation of this discipline in pre-service would equip trainees with the right competencies and appropriate pedagogical skills so that upon successful completion of their training, they could more effectively support learners to develop the same competencies in schools. Social-emotional competencies are important just as cognitive skills are in enhancing a learner’s agency, interpersonal relationships, and ability to make responsible decisions. Social-emotional competencies are critical in supporting learners to thrive and meaningfully engage in the society.

We are grateful to Grace Naima for her thoughtful participation in our “5 on Fridays” series!

Feel free to peruse our resources on Greater Good in Education, if you would like more support in fostering adult well-being, student well-being, and/or enhancing connection among students in your classroom or school.