Biographies Restorative Schools Working Group

Guendalina Dell’Anno has over 20 years of experience in the social sector, specialising in the design and coordination of programmes for children, families, and educators facing vulnerability. She currently leads national initiatives for SOS Children’s Villages Italy, including the Milano Programme—an innovative project fostering collaboration among schools, social services, and communities to promote restorative approaches and student wellbeing. Holding a Master’s in Crime, Deviance and Control from the London School of Economics, her work is guided by a deep commitment to justice, equity, and care. As a member of the EFRJ School Working Group, she remains dedicated to advancing restorative education across Europe.

Aleksandra Dopierała PhD is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Law at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Poznań, Poland. She is a psychologist and researcher, actively engaged in implementing restorative practices in education. She serves as vice principal at a relational and restorative school in Poland, where she also coordinates a social and emotional learning program. She is developing a school justice system rooted in restorative justice, focused on mutual understanding and collaborative problem-solving. A member of the Restorative Schools Working Group of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, she regularly shares her expertise at national scientific conferences and during classes with psychology students.

Alistair Goold is an international educator from Glasgow, Scotland, with 20 years of experience across three continents. He holds a Master of Science in Restorative Practices and is a licensed trainer through the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Alistair currently teaches Social Science at the International School of Kenya where he is a Grade Level Leader. He is the founder of Restorative360 and he delivers training to international schools across East Africa and the Middle East. His writing has appeared in On the Horizon education journal as well as the International Journal of Restorative Justice. He has two daughters who are 'third culture kids' and his family has three passports. Alistair is committed to embedding restorative practices in international schools to support connection, accountability, and inclusion.

Belinda Hopkins pioneered the use of restorative approaches in schools across the UK during the early 2000’s. She is the founding director of Transforming Conflict, the National Centre for Restorative Approaches in Youth and Community Settings. Transforming Conflict has now established itself as one of the foremost providers of training and consultancy in the field of restorative approaches across Europe. Her book ‘Just Schools’(JKP 2004) has inspired many people internationally as have her other books and publications since then.

She continues to run training courses herself, writes books and articles, develops training materials and resources, and speaks at conferences nationally and internationally. She is an active member of the Training Committee. Because of her concerns around climate change Belinda avoids flying when possible. She has enjoyed long and epic journeys by train (and ferry) to places like Poland, Estonia, Slovenia and Ukraine. She values her links with colleagues across Europe highly and has established a network to support those people she has trained as trainers so they can continue to support each other and innovate.

Annegrete Johanson is a restorative justice expert and a board member of the EFRJ, working daily in Estonia. Over the years, she has developed restorative justice services at the national level and is now actively contributing to the work of RuaCrew NGO. 
Annegrete is both a practitioner and a trainer, collaborating closely with schools and institutions working with children and youth. She is also the author of a restorative justice pocketbook, a practical guide that provides professionals with a clear overview of restorative practices and supports their daily work with young people.
Her passion lies in promoting and expanding restorative practices to create a safer and more compassionate society.

Laura Mooiman, LCSW, is an international education consultant, speaker, and the creator of Restorative PBIS™, a trademarked framework integrating Restorative Practices, Positive Behavior Support, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to improve student well-being and school culture. With over 25 years of experience and a Master of Social Work from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she led a nationally recognised initiative in California to enhance student support systems and staff wellness. Her development of school-based Wellness Centers earned California’s prestigious Golden Bell Award. Laura has worked with over 600 schools in 22 countries, serves as a consultant on NIH-funded research, and has been honored with two U.S. Congressional Recognitions for Outstanding Service to the Community. She supports schools globally through training, online courses, and her widely followed YouTube channel.

Christopher Straker was the Principal of a restorative High School in Hull, UK in 2017, and co-created the Hull Centre for Restorative Practice. He works as a consultant and trainer in local governments, schools, social work and family settings, policing and prisons in England and Wales. He is on the EFRJ restorative city working group as well as the school group. He has written a variety of articles on restorative practice and justice; and has an MA in restorative justice. He has worked in the USA, Canada, Europe, New Zealand/Aotearoa and Australia. He has also been a presenter at conferences in those countries; and has delivered more detailed support in Europe, planning, training and delivering longer term projects to develop restorative schools.

Melissa Rubio is a visionary educational leader and mental health advocate with a proven record of transforming school systems through equity-driven, systemic, restorative practices. As a Senior Director in the Upland Unified School District, California, she oversaw a comprehensive wellness initiative supported by a Department of Behavioural Health (DBH) grant, supervising licensed clinical therapists and university interns. Melissa has designed, constructed, and staffed nine student wellness centres and three meditation gardens, integrating trauma-informed care and therapeutic design into daily school life. A certified restorative practices trainer, she has successfully scaled MTSS and PBIS frameworks districtwide, reduced over-referrals to special education, and led postvention efforts to destigmatise mental health and prevent suicide. Her work is grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and the neuro-sequential model of safety and learning. Melissa champions belonging without othering, the power of relationships, and cross-department collaboration to create inclusive, supportive school environments where all students and staff can thrive.

Fábio Vieira Heerdt is a judge in Brazil since 1997. He is a facilitator and a trainer of restorative practices. He serves as a coordinator of the Judicial Center for Restorative Justice and as an Assistant judge of the Court of Justice (Brazil) in the theme of Restorative Justice. Fábio is a post graduate student in restorative practices (Suffolk University, Boston) and a visiting Scholar at the Law School of the University of Illinois Chicago.

Marion Virányi-Fontan is a French educator who has lived in Budapest for 14 years. She has worked for over a decade in an international restorative school, combining teaching with pastoral leadership. As EDIB (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging) lead, she focuses on embedding restorative practices into the fabric of school life. Her work explores the intersection of restorative thinking and postcolonial education, promoting belonging, student voice, and relational approaches in diverse classrooms. She is committed to building inclusive communities through everyday restorative culture and systemic change.

Nina Wroldsen has many years experiences using restorative circles as a school teacher and school leader. She is a former founder and principal of an IB Public School in Oslo. Nina is a board member of Safe Learning Norway and was one of the founders of the organisation in 2009. Safe Learning Norway is an NGO, that advocates the use of restorative practices in education, providing training and counselling for schools. 
Nina has lectured internationally in the field of restorative practices and is the co-author of several textbooks for secondary schools and on the use of restorative practices in education. She has been a member of the Working Group for Schools for the European Forum for Restorative Justice since its beginning and has served as the chair for the last two years.

Olga Ziori is a Child Protection Expert and a Lawyer of Kavala Bar Association in Greece. Olga holds an LLM in Human Rights and a Master in Social Policy. Since 2011, she has been working with unaccompanied minors and children in conflict with the law, in various refugee camps in Greece. As a restorative justice facilitator she has applied restorative practices and community mediation as part of her work in the refugee camps. She is an Accredited Mediator (Greek Ministry of Justice) specialised in Child Inclusive Family Mediation and School Mediation. For the last 2 years, she designs and implements trainings for child protection professionals on the best interests procedures with a focus on trauma informed techniques and restorative justice principles. She uses folk tales as a restorative justice tool in her work with vulnerable communities.