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About The Second Movement Project
In the midst of the pandemic, a powerful idea was born: THE SECOND MOVEMENT PROJECT. As the world faced the chaos of Covid-19, Americans also carried the weight of the tragic losses of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. A wave of marches, protests, and riots swept across the globe, symbolizing the First Movement of change. Like the opening of many symphonies, it was abrupt, jarring, and challenging. Now, we believe it is time for the Second Movement – a harmonious celebration of the beauty around us and a dedicated effort to rebuild and uplift our communities.
This project is about transforming artistic concepts into actionable, interdisciplinary approaches. At the heart of SECOND MOVEMENT is the initiative "Sing, Don’t Shout" – a groundbreaking approach to help educators find alternative ways to engage students without reinforcing cycles of trauma. Instead of shouting, passive-aggressive behaviors, or anger-driven responses, Sing, Don’t Shout promotes strategies that foster connection, encouragement, and love. Our mission is to cultivate classrooms, teachers, and students who embody the fruits of a good spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This initiative takes the form of both a podcast and a professional development series, equipping educators and parents with practical tools to engage with young people in healthier, more uplifting ways. Together, we aim to create environments where children thrive, relationships strengthen, and communities heal.
Kaijeh Johnson
Founder / Director of Second Movement
Kaijeh Johnson is an educator, teaching artist, and arts program manager from New York City with a passion for integrating the arts into early childhood education. He holds a Master of Education in Human Development and Arts in Learning from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Music Education from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.
Currently, Kaijeh serves as the Residency Program Manager at Arts for Learning Massachusetts, where he supports teaching artists, manages partnerships, and works to expand arts-based educational initiatives. Through this role, he delivers professional development programming on incorporating music into teachers' toolkits for effective classroom discipline. As a teaching artist, he has developed music and literacy-based activities for young children, particularly English language learners, through the program Expanding Horizons Through Music.
Kaijeh also contributes as a Curriculum Designer and Research Assistant with Art/Play, a research initiative of Harvard’s Project Zero. In this role, he designs sound art programs for Boston Public Schools and leads workshops in collaboration with institutions such as the Smithsonian and MoMA.
Previously, he worked as a Universal Pre-K Teacher in New York City, implementing curriculum for children aged 2.9 to 5 years, fostering family engagement, and organizing community events.
Kaijeh’s mission is to create safe and loving classroom environments where children can thrive—using singing instead of shouting to inspire joy and connection.
