Welcome to All Things EDUnia,
EDUNIA was founded with a simple but urgent belief: education must be trusted, accessible, and rooted in community. For too long, marginalized communities have been excluded from shaping the very systems meant to serve them. At Edunia, we are changing that.
We construct trusted and accessible teaching and learning platforms that empower communities to strengthen public education while also addressing the deep need for healing and recovery. Education is not only about achievement — it is about restoration, identity, and collective growth.
At EDUnia, we design learning experiences that help individuals live within their purpose and develop the skills to positively influence future generations. We believe education extends far beyond the classroom walls. It is a shared responsibility — one that belongs to families, neighbors, advocates, and community leaders alike.
We equip parents, community members, and advocates to transform lived experiences into powerful lessons that nurture resilience, love, and passion in young people. By addressing educational inequities and fostering collaboration, we ensure that learning and leadership remain collective efforts — strengthening both schools and the communities that sustain them.
EDUnia exists because our communities already hold the wisdom. Our role is to build the platforms, cultivate the trust, and help turn that wisdom into lasting impact.
Martina Van Norden, CEO & Founder
“A global crisis revealed what we should have known all along. Education’s purpose is not to produce test scores, but to cultivate the wisdom to live fully."
Meet Dr. Martina Van Norden
Martina Van Norden is an educator, entrepreneur, minister, and visionary bridge-builder who believes purpose is the heartbeat of learning. Her career began in a District of Columbia classroom, where she witnessed both the brilliance of her students and the inequities shaping their educational experiences. That foundation led her to launch EDUnia, a movement connecting schools, communities, and faith partners to advance equitable, purpose-driven education.
A trusted thought partner in school improvement, community development, and public policy, Martina helps leaders move from underperformance to meaningful progress. She is also a seminarian at Brite Divinity School, where her focus on social justice ministry deepens her commitment to education as sacred, justice-centered work.
Martina is a graduate of Hampton University and American University, where she earned her Master’s and Doctorate in Education Policy & Leadership. Through Edunia and her ministry, she remains committed to raising the next generation — especially Black men — toward lives of excellence, purpose, and lasting impact.
