Dr. Shaniqua Jones is the Founder & CEO of Purple Path by Dr. J., an ISBE-approved professional development provider specializing in Restorative Justice, trauma-informed practices, and leadership development. As Convener of the Village Response Network, she brings together educators, clinicians, nonprofit leaders, faith communities, and advocates to strengthen the systems that support children, families, and communities. Through speaking, consulting, and community partnerships, Dr. Jones believes every story has the power to heal and every community has the capacity to respond.
💜 You’re Coming! Everything You Need to Know Before the Purple Path Annual Healing Retreat
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Purple Path Family, WE ARE 51 DAYS AWAY! 💜🧡🩵💗💛 If you are receiving this email, YOU ARE REGISTERED for the 2026 Purple Path Annual Healing Retreat, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to welcome you into the village! Saturday, October 24, 2026 Theme: FROM HEALING TO LEGACY: ACTIVATING THE VILLAGE Now listen…. this email is LONG because there is A LOT happening. 😂 Please read it all, save it, star it, and share the applicable information with anyone attending with you. This retreat is not designed for you to simply come into a room, sit in a chair and listen all day. We are creating an EXPERIENCE rooted in healing, wellness, education, connection, joy, resources, restoration and LEGACY. So here is what you need to know. 💜 A PEEK AT THE DAY Our agenda is still being finalized and is subject to change, but I want you to have an idea of what you can expect. Doors open at 9:00 AM for registration, check-in, shopping, connecting, exploring our retreat spaces, visiting community resources and beginning our Activate the Village Bingo experience. The official retreat begins at 10:00 AM. Our morning will include our official Welcome Home and grounding experience, followed by our keynote, “From Healing to Legacy,” with Catherine McNeil. We will then move into Village Voices: What Does It Really Take to Activate the Village? This cross-sector conversation brings together voices representing Restorative Justice, healthcare, labor, motherhood, women’s health, violence prevention, community engagement, entrepreneurship, advocacy, storytelling and lived experience. 🍽️ LUNCH + VILLAGE MARKETPLACE Around midday, we will open the Village Lunch + Marketplace Experience. And I intentionally want this part of the day to feel different. Eat when you are ready. Shop. Connect. Visit our sponsors. Meet our vendors. Explore community resources. Visit our healing and wellness spaces. Continue a conversation from the morning. Sit down and REST if that is what your body needs. Work on your Bingo card. Meet somebody new. Just BE in the village. There is no expectation that all 250 of us need to be doing the exact same thing at the exact same time. And during lunch… 🧡 THE 40+ DOUBLE DUTCH CLUB IS IN THE BUILDING! From approximately 1:00–1:30 PM, we will have a special interactive community activation reminding us that healing can also look like movement, laughter, nostalgia, play, joy and intergenerational connection. Jump. Cheer. Watch. Laugh. Or keep eating your lunch. 😂 YOU choose how you experience it. 🧠 AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS After lunch, we move into TWO rounds of concurrent workshops and healing experiences. Topics throughout the afternoon will include: • Family and systems support Because workshops will run concurrently, you will have choices. I want you to think about what YOU need—not simply what sounds good. 🎓 GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY: COME PREPARED! This is one of the opportunities I am especially excited about. Governors State University Admissions will be IN THE BUILDING. GSU will facilitate a featured workshop: NAVIGATING HIGHER EDUCATION IN TODAY’S CLIMATE This conversation is designed for youth, parents, educators, community members, prospective freshmen and undergraduate transfer students who may be wondering whether higher education is attainable, worthwhile or even possible for them right now. But we are going beyond TALKING about access. Following the workshop, GSU will host an onsite INSTANT DECISION EXPERIENCE. Interested attendees will be able to connect directly with the Governors State University Admissions Team for: • Advising Application fees will be WAIVED for retreat attendees. No waiver code is needed. Prospective students are encouraged to bring a unofficial transcripts for advising purposes and official transcripts in sealed envelopes when applicable for admissions review. So if you have been talking about going back to school… Thinking about transferring… Trying to figure out your next step… Or you have a young person who needs to see what is possible… COME PREPARED. 💜 FROM HEALING TO LEGACY: ACTIVATION Toward the end of our day, we are going to shift from simply receiving information to asking: NOW WHAT? What are you taking home? What are you ready to release? What are you ready to reclaim? What relationships or resources do you need? What do YOU already have that your village needs? What does legacy mean to you now? And most importantly—what will you ACTIVATE when you leave? Our goal is for each person to leave with a personal commitment AND a village commitment. We will finish our day with gratitude, village recognition, our restorative Closing Circle and final send-off. The retreat concludes at 6:00 PM. And remember: this agenda is a DRAFT and is subject to change as we continue finalizing the experience. 🏨 NEED A HOTEL ROOM? BOOK NOW. For those who want to stay overnight, we have a room block at EVEN Hotel Chicago–Tinley Park Convention Center. Booking Code: PHR DISCOUNT DEADLINE: OCTOBER 2, 2026 Book your room here: https://www.ihg.com/evenhotels/hotels/us/en/tinley-park/chitn/hoteldetail Please do not wait until the last minute if you already know you need a room. 👕 ORDER YOUR FAMILY REUNION SHIRT! Yes, I call it our family reunion shirt because that is EXACTLY what this retreat feels like to me. 😂💜 Infant–Youth: $20 [INSERT SHIRT ORDER LINK] I cannot wait to look around that convention center and see our village represented! 🛍️ SHOP WITH OUR VILLAGE Please do not wait until October 24 to support the businesses and organizations that are showing up for us. We have an incredible Village Marketplace filled with businesses, wellness providers, creatives, authors, entrepreneurs and organizations. Visit their pages. Follow them. Share their work. Purchase from them. Book their services. Refer someone. And then SHOP WITH THEM when you get to the retreat. Supporting small businesses and community organizations is part of activating the village. 🫱🏾🫲🏽 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS, TOO! Our sponsors and partners are helping us create this experience. They are investing products, services, resources, time and financial support into our village. So when you see Purple Path recognizing a sponsor on social media, PLEASE engage. Like the post. Comment. Follow their page. Share it. Tag them. And when possible, support their business. I want every organization that partners with Purple Path to FEEL the love of this village. 🎁 ACTIVATE THE VILLAGE BINGO When you check in, you will receive an Activate the Village Bingo Card. And yes, there will be prizes. 👀😂 But the deeper purpose is CONNECTION. Your Bingo experience will encourage you to: • Meet vendors and facilitators Completed Bingo cards may be entered into our prize drawing. 💻 DON'T WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER 24 TO JOIN THE VILLAGE! We still have FREE virtual pre-retreat activations happening at 7:00 PM CT. Remaining dates: September 3 — TONIGHT! Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ks71c3DMSiC8W0zsrnECuA YES—you can attend even though you are already registered for the retreat. Actually, I WANT you there. These conversations are helping us build community BEFORE we ever walk into the convention center. 🙋🏾♀️ WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS! We are selecting 20 core volunteers and five alternates. Volunteer applications are due SEPTEMBER 25, 2026. Selected volunteers receive: • Full retreat access Volunteer shifts: 8:00 AM–2:00 PM OR 2:00 PM–8:00 PM Apply here: https://bit.ly/PPVillageofGuides Please share this opportunity with someone who is dependable, compassionate, teachable and understands that volunteering with Purple Path is not simply about completing a shift. It is about helping us CARE for the village. 🩺 PURPLE PATH TO WELLNESS Our featured vendor Chamber of Wellness is also extending a special opportunity to our Purple Path community. Use code: PURPLE PATH and receive FREE enrollment into Direct Primary Care for the month of October! Your health. 📲 FOLLOW US + STAY CONNECTED We still have announcements coming! Sponsors. Vendors. Facilitators. Special experiences. Retreat preparation. Giveaways. Behind-the-scenes moments. And probably some things I haven't even thought of yet. 😂 Follow Purple Path: @purplepathbydrj And PLEASE interact with what we share. Like. Comment. Share. Tag somebody. Every time you share this retreat, you help us reach someone who may need exactly what we are creating. 💻 RETREAT INFORMATION You can always visit our retreat page for the latest information: https://purplepathbydrj.com/annual-healing-retreat/ 💜 BEFORE I GO… Thank you. Seriously. I don't take ONE registration for granted. Purple Path was never created simply to host events. This work comes from lived experience. It comes from education. It comes from community. It comes from restoration. It comes from caregiving. It comes from grief. It comes from having to heal while still showing up for other people. And it comes from my deep belief that people deserve spaces where they can simply be HUMAN. That is what we are building. This retreat is LEGACY for me. And when you register, attend, bring your family, shop with our vendors, support our sponsors, connect with resources, participate in an activation, volunteer, meet somebody new or take something you learned back into your own community… YOU become part of that legacy, too. So please don't plan to just “stop by.” 😂 Come early. Stay with us. Eat. Learn. Shop. Move. Rest. Connect. Laugh. Ask questions. Meet somebody new. Explore every room you can. Take what you need. And bring what you have to offer the village. We are moving FROM HEALING TO LEGACY. Now it is time to ACTIVATE THE VILLAGE. I'll see you October 24! 💜 With Radical Love, Dr. Shaniqua Jones “A Journey Not Shared is a Soul Not Healed.” |
Purple Path By Dr. Shaniqua Jones
Dr. Shaniqua Jones is the Founder & CEO of Purple Path by Dr. J., an ISBE-approved professional development provider specializing in Restorative Justice, trauma-informed practices, and leadership development. As Convener of the Village Response Network, she brings together educators, clinicians, nonprofit leaders, faith communities, and advocates to strengthen the systems that support children, families, and communities. Through speaking, consulting, and community partnerships, Dr. Jones believes every story has the power to heal and every community has the capacity to respond.
Hello Purple Path Village, We still need a few more volunteers for our Annual Healing Retreat on Saturday, October 24! Even if you cannot commit to a full 8 a.m.–2 p.m. or 2–8 p.m. shift, we would love to know when you can help. Sign up to volunteer. You asked, and we delivered: our family reunion shirts are ready! Order yours today so we can get all orders in ASAP. There is still room for our community at the retreat: Ages 0–4: Free Ages 5–12: $30 Ages 13–17: $50 Ages 18+: $127 through...
Purple Path Family, We are officially 29 days away! On Saturday, October 24, we will gather for the Purple Path Annual Healing Retreat®: From Healing to Legacy: Activating the Village. I am grateful you will be in the room. GO REGISTER TODAY! Saturday, October 24, 2026 Tinley Park Convention Center 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park, IL 60477 Doors open at 9:00 AM | Retreat: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM Come early. Check in, enjoy continental breakfast, explore the Village Marketplace, visit our...
Purple Path Village, There has been a lot happening. And with everything we are witnessing in our schools, organizations, communities, and everyday conversations, one question continues to surface: What does Restorative Justice actually look like in practice? I want to create space to answer that question. Registration is officially open for two virtual sessions of: Restorative Justice 101: From Practice to Infrastructure This is a 90-minute introductory professional development experience...