About
Maitri House Northwest (MTHNW) was founded in 2020 by a team of educators, artists, and social work professionals dedicated to fostering young learners’ wellbeing, confidence and resilience on their educational journeys. MTHNW’s learning and educational consulting framework developed by Dr. Susi Steinmann. It integrates ecological systems knowledge with strengthening socio-emotional wellness as the foundation for students’ academic and learning success in high school, university and beyond.
The educational support embraces the concept of Maitri meaning “compassion” and also “self-compassion” to foster sustained learning in the short and long term. And, the double meaning “my tree house” honors our true being as part of nature & valuing the time spent on internal restoration. We share our enthusiasm and reverence for the beauty of our Earth’s natural wonders: Places of respite, healing and peace. Places to breathe and just be. Places to rejuvenate our passion for learning and life.
“Even though this plant looks dead, the seedpod is full of next year’s life” — Grace S.
Reflections from a student participant in a Maitri House Northwest
guided nature-based ‘walk and talk’ about death and loss.
Our Team
Susi Steinmann, Ph.D.
Education Consultant
Susi Steinmann, Ph.D., holds graduate degrees in International Development & Human Geography. In 2020, Susi founded Maitri House Northwest to support adolescent and young adult students in their personal and academic learning from middle school through university. Her educational coaching directly supports culturally diverse students as well as offering consulting trainings for professionals who work with teen and young adult learners in cross-cultural contexts.
Dr. Steinmann’s consulting work draws from her personal immigrant experience to the United States and a life-long career teaching and supporting individual learners, youth leaders and educational partners in highly diverse cultural communities across the world; from Morocco, Somalia, and Kenya, to Myanmar, Iraq and Ukraine (See Portland Meet Portland)
Since 2003, Dr. Steinmann has taught a variety of University courses at Portland State University ranging from Introduction to Human Geography and International Development in the Middle East and Africa, to Civic Engagement Partnerships with Immigrants and Refugees. From 2008-2019, Dr. Steinmann also worked with diverse refugee and immigrant communities in Portland, Oregon teaching ESL and citizenship education classes and facilitating trauma-informed cultural adjustment support groups. These cross-cultural experiences draw on her professional journey from Peace Corps Volunteer to agricultural change researcher in Africa and the Middle East to University professor and non-profit/NGO founder and Director.
Kaw Kleh Wah
Outreach Coordinator
Kaw Kleh Wah, or “Kay Kay”, arrived in the United States from a refugee camp in Thailand in 2007. Her family left their home in eastern Myanmar (Burma) after years of fighting in and fleeing from the civil war there. On arrival in Portland, Oregon she faced the enormous challenges of learning English, keeping up with school work, and making new friends from other cultural backgrounds. Like most newcomer teenagers, KayKay managed all that while simultaneously helping her parents navigate the myriad of unfamiliar social, medical and employment related appointments and services that support newly arriving immigrants and refugees.
Kay Kay and Susi met in 2012 when her parents enrolled in a citizenship education program at Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW). And later, Kay Kay was hired to interpret and help co-facilitate in a wellness group for older Karen women who found solace, healing and new community by weaving traditional cloth together as they had done back home.
This was the introduction to Kay Kay’s community outreach work and, her appreciation of the positive impact of social-emotional wellness programs can have on diverse newcomer communities. Kay Kay subsequently completed school and PCC classes, trained as a Public Relations Intern and Community Health Worker at Multnomah County and continued to work with Susi in the Youth Leadership Program at Portland Meet Portland. There, Kay Kay worked on several public education programs about the refugee/immigrant experience including at the Portland Art Museum, at the K-8 Arbor School and interpreting for OHSU Nursing student presentations.
Ready to Engage?
See our Services
