Zuleika Smith

Zuleika joined One Common Unity as the S.E.L. Team Lead, with an emphasis on Restorative Justice.  Zuleika’s involvement in the Arts has spanned throughout her youth and into her current work.  

For over 15 years, Zuleika’s career has entailed teaching Art in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas, where she also worked as a Restorative Justice Coordinator. Her Restorative Justice training started in Portland, Oregon, and Baltimore, Maryland where educators, administrators, and facilitators worked to plan and practice applications for Restorative Practices in their own communities.

Zuleika served with a panel of  DC Visual and Performing Arts teachers to develop DC Public Schools’ Art curriculum and pacing guides.  

Zuleika has integrated Restorative Practices into her pedagogy and coached educators through the lens of both an Educator and Administrator. During her graduate studies, Zuleika studied abroad in Brussels, Belgium with Marymount’s MBA program to study business practices and applications of “Systems Thinking” within various organizations.  Zuleika has carried this systems thinking approach with her while working in Education and Restorative Justice.  

Born in the South, but living in the DC Metro area for over 20 years, Zuleika has a unique perspective of how the Arts positively impact social awareness among our youth.

In addition to her involvement in the visual arts, Zuleika is a vocalist as well. In previous years she has performed in DC’s U Street and surrounding areas regularly. Zuleika continues to work in the Arts and Restorative Practices with the intention of skill-building with youth through Empathy, Creativity, and Accountability.

On a personal note, she loves chocolate and believes that the arts are superpowers in restoring peace in any community.