2026 Finalist – Kayla Tychsen

When hundreds of refugee children fled war and arrived in Lebanon without access to education, Kayla Tychsen helped build the classrooms where their futures could begin again.

In 2017, Kayla co-founded a nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting vulnerable refugee communities who had been displaced by conflict and instability. Recognising that many children were carrying the trauma of war alongside the disruption of losing their homes, families and schools, she helped establish two elementary schools in Lebanon designed to be far more than places of learning. These schools provide safe, nurturing environments where children can heal, rebuild confidence and rediscover the joy of childhood.

These schools now educate more than 350 refugee students each year, offering stability, opportunity and hope for families rebuilding their lives.

Kayla’s work is rooted in a powerful belief: when children feel safe, supported and emotionally connected, they can thrive – even in the most challenging circumstances. To support this vision, she helped integrate trauma-informed practices into the schools’ approach to education, ensuring that teachers understand how trauma affects learning and behaviour. This allows children who have experienced war, displacement and loss to receive the compassion, patience and support they need to heal and succeed.

But Kayla recognised early on that supporting children also means supporting the adults who care for them.

As a Certified Parenting Coach accredited by the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, she has dedicated much of her work to empowering parents and caregivers with practical tools to raise emotionally resilient children. Through workshops, coaching and educational programmes, she helps families understand complex topics such as attachment theory, nervous system regulation and social-emotional development, translating research into practical strategies that can transform everyday parenting.

Kayla’s approach is both professional and deeply personal. Having experienced postpartum anxiety herself, she understands the emotional challenges that many parents face. This experience strengthened her passion for helping caregivers become more aware of how their own experiences shape their parenting, enabling them to build stronger, more secure relationships with their children.

Over the past decade, Kayla’s work has reached families across cultures and continents – from after-school classrooms in California to refugee communities across the Middle East.

She is also the creator of the Emotional Resilience Toolkit, a resource designed for homes and classrooms that helps caregivers understand the nervous system and gives children the tools they need to develop emotional awareness, self-regulation and lifelong resilience.

Even in moments of crisis, Kayla continues to lead with courage and compassion. In 2024, after more than ten years serving refugee communities, she and her family experienced bombings less than five miles from their home in Beirut. Drawing on the trauma-informed principles she teaches, Kayla supported not only her own family but also many others navigating fear and uncertainty.

Kayla will be sharing her story at the 34th annual Inspiring Women awards on 15th May 2026 at The Lowry Hotel. More details here