Founders • Captains & Poets

Co-Founders

Jennifer Johnson (She/Her)

B.A., B.Ed., M.A

As a parent, a former educator, an entrepreneur and a passionate change-maker, Jennifer is on a mission to empower young people to be their best selves to create a better world. She has an M.A. in Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Organizational Learning from OISE and has been a curriculum writer and designed and implemented numerous transformational programs over the span of her career. She is a seasoned leader in education and the corporate world, a CTI Coach, and a graduate of the Harvard Leadership Program. As a parent of two children, her focus is on nurturing self-leadership skills and the ability to navigate an increasingly dynamic world with compassion, resilience, and authenticity.

Jan Frolic (She/Her)

B.A Honours

Jan is a serial entrepreneur and a former corporate leader in the Diversity & Inclusion space with a focus on gender equity. She has an Honours B.A. in Sociology and is a committed advocate and continual student in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jan is passionate about building kids who will champion others. As a mother to three young adults, her most important role is to raise happy, kind, self-aware individuals to be inclusive, socially engaged and globally aware adults.

A Message From the Co-Founders

Dear Captains and Poets Around the World,

In 2018, we felt compelled to create Captains & Poets to give young people an easy language that gives them access to who they are, their innate capabilities, and to navigate the world around them from a place of connection and compassion.

And what we found was that when we are able to embrace our authentic selves more fully, we are better able to embrace others in the same spirit. Little did we know how important this would become in the years that followed.

Our Kindergarten to Grade 12 program is designed to inspire greater connection to self and others and all that comes with that – a greater sense of well-being, healthier relationships, and a positive sense of agency in the world.

When kids learn about their inner Captain and Poet they have immediate access to their emotions, their unique gifts and perspectives, and the complexities of what makes them human. They become more resilient and learn how to draw on their innate strengths and to nurture a positive mindset. They get it. And they get it quickly!

The world is an increasingly complex and dynamic place and we need Captains and Poets everywhere to create the world we all want to live in. In the words of Jo in our youth documentary, “If everyone was their best Captain and Poet, I think that we would see really true understanding of each other and the world.”

We work every day to bring our best selves to this work so that we may make this program the best it can be and to inspire the same in this next generation. Our Poets inspired this vision, and our Captains are making it happen – and we welcome you to join us!

Sincerely,

Jan Frolic & Jennifer Johnson

Co-Founders