Chip St. Clair

Earlier this month, Chip and Lisa were invited to join the Good Day Northern Michigan crew over at 9&10 News. They had an 10-minute segment talking about the mission and vision of the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation, and how we’re using expressive arts and Beyond Trauma™-Informed Training to support schools, courts, and communities. Huge thanks to the Good Day Northern Michigan team for having us and helping share this important work!

We’re just 7 reviews away from earning our 2026 GreatNonprofits Top-Rated badge! If SCBF has impacted you or someone you love, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a minute to share your story. Your words help others find us, trust us, and heal with us. Leave a review here: loom.ly/5OB0ZFI

We’re so excited and beyond grateful to be the February recipient of the Perks Gives Back campaign. On Tuesday, February 17, 10 percent of all sales at Perks of Frankfort (429 Main St, Frankfort, MI) will support our SCBF programming in Benzie County. Your visit helps us bring expressive arts and Beyond Trauma-Informed™ training to students, educators, and the community. Every coffee, every bite, every visit makes a difference. If you’re in the area, please stop by. And if you’re not, it would mean so much if you shared this with a friend or family member who is. Thank you to our incredible partners at Petals and Perks for believing in this mission and helping us keep it moving forward. #SCBF #PerksGivesBack #BenzieCounty #HealingHeArts #CommunityLove

Have you wanted to volunteer with SCBF? This is your chance. We are looking for volunteers for the St. Pete Science Festival at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7, 2026. Friday is School Day (9 AM to 3 PM). Saturday is open to the public (10 AM to 4 PM). Volunteers should plan to arrive 30 minutes early to help set up. We're looking for Volunteers to help us facilitate neuroscience-informed expressive arts activities and pass out information about SCBF’s Beyond Trauma-Informed™ Toolkit. Whether you can stay for the whole day or just a few hours, we would love to have your help. You’ll be given everything you need for the day, including a volunteer shirt and the tools to feel ready and supported. Last year’s turnout was huge and we’re expecting even more this year. To sign up or ask questions, contact Samantha at samantha@scbf.org

We’re hiring a Regional Director for Missouri! If you or someone you know might be a great fit for this role, please reach out to Whitney@scbf.org. We’d love for you to be a part of our growing team! 🦋

Here’s the YouTube link to the Unscripted Show on UpNorthLive. Where Chip and Lisa talk about our mission and vision of the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation! loom.ly/4dOoMXQ

The St. Clair Butterfly Foundation is proud to be an exhibitor at the 2026 St. Petersburg Science Festival! Join us February 7th 10AM - 4PM along Bayboro Harbor and the USFSP waterfront for hands-on, neuroscience-backed expressive arts activities designed to support emotional regulation and engage the whole brain. Follow @stpetescifest for updates! loom.ly/vZmhZTs #StPeteSciFest #STEAM #TraumaInformed #ScienceInTheSun #HealingThroughTheArts #SCBF #NeuroArts

We are so thankful and excited to share that the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation has received a $100,000 grant to expand our work in Northern Michigan! loom.ly/C7cnJNs

TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m. Chip and Lisa St. Clair, Founders of the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation go live for UpNorthLive’s Unscripted Show to talk about Beyond Trauma-Informed Training. At SCBF, we don’t just train educators to manage behavior we equip them to help students heal. Our work blends expressive arts, neuroscience, and lived experience to rewire the brain and transform classrooms from the inside out. 📺 Tune in on YouTube: loom.ly/s45jW5g 📱 Watch on X: loom.ly/ghfl0ow 📘 Or join on Facebook: @UpNorthLive

SEL & Expressive Arts Grounding Activity Before a student can learn, they need to feel safe in their body. That’s why our grounding practices start with breath, rhythm, and creative movement. In the SCBF Butterfly Labyrinth, students learn how their brain works under stress and how mindful breathing, art, and movement can guide them out of survival mode and back into safety, connection, and learning. This week’s SEL focus: Ground the Nervous System Try this in your classroom: 1. Begin with 2 minutes of deep breathing 2. Add rhythm by tapping to a calm beat or humming a soft tone 3. Invite students to draw a "safe space" or color in silence This isn't fluff. It's neuroscience-backed, trauma-informed regulation in action. Aligned with our Trauma Toolkit and Waystations, this practice helps students shift from fight or flight to focused learning. Because healing is learning. #TraumaInformed #SCBF #ButterflyLabyrinth #SEL #ExpressiveArts #RegulateToRelate #SafeClassrooms #HealingThroughArt #EducatorWellbeing #CASELAligned

We’re proud to nominate our co-founder, Lisa St. Clair, for recognition in the 2026 Women’s History Month publication. Lisa’s work in trauma-informed education and expressive arts has touched the lives of thousands of students, educators, and families. Her commitment to creating safe, healing-centered spaces continues to transform classrooms and communities across Michigan. Submit your Women's History Month nomination(s) now for a chance to be featured in the March 21, 2026, edition celebrating women making a difference across Northern Michigan. If Lisa’s work has inspired you or if you believe in honoring women who lead with compassion, courage, and creativity we’d love your support in nominating her! 👉 Nominate here loom.ly/cD03VvE Thank you!!

2026: The Year of the Butterfly From classrooms and courtrooms to clinics and community centers, this is the year we transform systems from the inside out. We’re entering 2026 grounded in our mission to move beyond awareness and into generational transformation. Through our Beyond Trauma-Informed™ Toolkit, rooted in neuroscience, expressive arts, and real-world application, we’re partnering with four critical ecosystems: Education: Creating safe, emotionally regulated learning environments Juvenile Justice: Restoring hope, not simply enforcing discipline Healthcare & Behavioral Health: Supporting those who support others Community: Empowering healing where youth live, play, and grow We’re so proud of the SCBF team, the communities walking alongside us, and the courageous young people rising every day despite adversity. This is The Year of the Butterfly, a year of healing, growth, and measurable change. Together, let’s SOAR 2026. #YearOfTheButterfly #SCBF #TraumaInformed #ExpressiveArts #NeuroscienceInformed #SEL #ButterflyEffect #YouthMentalHealth #HealingCentered #JuvenileJustice #CommunityHealing #EducationTransformation

Let’s start the new year not with pressure, but with permission. Waystation #1: Breathe is our reminder that before we push forward, we pause. That breath isn’t something we do automatically—it’s something we can choose. And in that choice, there’s power. The nervous system doesn’t know it’s January. It just knows stress, safety, survival, connection. So we begin by telling the body, “You’re safe now.” One breath at a time. This isn’t the kind of change you’ll find in a planner or a to-do list. It’s slower than that. Quieter. It happens in the spaces between the noise, between what happened last year and what we’re reaching for next. This year, maybe you don’t need a resolution. Maybe you need a rhythm. Breathe in. Breathe out. Not because it’s trendy. Because it works. Because breath helps shift us from fight or flight back to our full selves. Because when we start from a regulated place, everything else—connection, creativity, problem-solving—can begin to grow. 📍Waystation #1: Breathe #ButterflyLabyrinth #StartWithBreath #Waystation1 #SCBF #TraumaInformedHealing #SELForEveryone #CreativeResilience #HealingIsNotLinear

As the year closes, take a breath. You’ve made it through things you didn’t plan for, held emotions you didn’t always have words for, and kept going even when you weren’t sure how. That matters. You don’t need a big resolution. Maybe just a few grounded goals to meet yourself with more compassion next year. Some possibilities: Start each day with two deep breaths and one honest check-in with yourself Keep a notebook where you can write or draw whatever you’re carrying Make space each week to rest without guilt Reflect on what part of yourself grew this year, even if it was messy And for self-care that actually means something: Say no when you need to Say yes to what feels healing, even if it’s small Let your worth be separate from your productivity You’re not behind. You’re becoming. Healing isn’t linear, it’s layered. Just like the labyrinth. 📍Waystation #7: Goal Setting #SCBFButterflyLabyrinth #Waystation7 #TraumaInformedHealing #SCBF #EndOfYearReflection #CreativeHealing

Merry Christmas from all of us at the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation. 🎄🦋 This season, we’re holding space for hope, healing, and the quiet courage it takes to keep going. Thank you for being part of a community that believes in compassion, creativity, and second chances. May your holidays be gentle, warm, and full of light.

What if we asked, “What happened to you?” instead of “What did you do?” SCBF brings trauma-informed healing wherever it’s needed—from classrooms to courtrooms, and beyond. ✅ 90% less violence ✅ 100% graduation ✅ 80% fewer disciplinary actions #SCBF #TraumaInformed #JusticeReimagined #HealingInCourt #YouthJustice #NeuroscienceMatters #ExpressiveArtsHealing #VicariousTrauma #ResilienceTraining #SupportTheSupporters #MindfulJustice #SELinJustice #WhatHappenedToYou #TraumaResponsiveCare #SCBFJustice #BreakTheCycle #JuvenileJusticeReform #TraumaTools #SystemicHealing #HealingEverywhere

Trick for Anxiety Spirals—“Name & Notice” Anxiety trick that actually works (and requires no deep breathing): When your thoughts start spiraling, try: Name & Notice. • Name 3 thoughts you’re having (without judgment) • Notice where they live in your body • Say: “This is what I’m experiencing. It makes sense.” No fixing. No faking. Just naming and noticing. This teaches the brain that you’re in control—not your fear. It’s a micro-moment of regulation, backed by neuroscience. We use this often with students—and it works. #AnxietyTools #NameAndNotice #TraumaInformedLiving #SCBFButterflyEffect

Nervous System Tip—Create a ‘Landing Place’ Feeling dysregulated? Try this: Create a “Landing Place.” Pick one corner of your home or classroom and make it predictable and calming—just for you. • Keep lighting soft • Add something sensory: a texture, a scent, a small object that grounds you • Return to this place when everything else feels out of control It’s not about escaping—it’s about telling your nervous system: you’re safe now. This simple neuroscience-backed ritual can become a powerful reset button—especially during the holidays. #NervousSystemCare #TraumaInformedTips #SCBFHealingSpaces #RegulationRituals

For those who feel it more deeply this time of year—this is for you. The holidays don’t feel like “the most wonderful time” for everyone. If you’re moving through grief, loneliness, anxiety, or just trying to make it through—please know you’re not broken. You’re human. And you are not alone. Here are a few gentle ways to care for your heart this season: • Take a walk in quiet spaces and let nature remind you you’re still part of something • Create—paint, write, dance, or plant something—whatever makes your soul breathe • Light a candle in memory or in hope • Call someone who gets you, even if you just sit in silence together • Make a cup of something warm and hold it like you would a hand • Let yourself rest. The world will wait. At SCBF, we believe healing is personal, and there is no one way to move through pain. You deserve compassion, space, and softness—even if you’ve never been given that before. However you choose to show up this season, know this: you are enough, exactly as you are. #YouAreNotAlone #TraumaInformedHolidays #SCBFButterflyEffect #GentleHolidays #HealingThroughCompassion

Have you signed up for our SCBF newsletter yet? As we close out an impactful year, we invite you to stay connected with the heart of our mission. From powerful student stories to new programs and community milestones, our newsletter keeps you informed and inspired. Be on the lookout for our special end-of-year email—filled with reflections, gratitude, and a preview of what’s ahead in 2026. There are exciting things happening, and we don’t want you to miss a moment. Join our mailing list today and keep growing with us. loom.ly/Tt3-Ae8