About Us
Our beliefs and values
Redemption
Restoration
Reconciliation
Racial Equity and Belonging
Purpose
Founded on a core value that healthy relationships are essential to healthy living, LRM Foundation’s mission is to Instill Hope, Reconcile Broken Relationships, and Restore Healthy Living, and our purpose is to demonstrate that life finds a way to give us a bridge to new beginnings, and a path to wholeness. We achieve this through multifaceted programming of the Performing Arts, Mental Health and Wellness, and STEM Education Partnerships.
Theatre
Support
STEM Education
Events
Mental Health and Wellness
Who We Are
Leadership
K. Nicole Rials, LSCSW
Nicole founded LRM in 2007 as a way to combine her social work profession with her faith belief, and to build a platform that engages voices and delivers hope. A native of Lawrence, Nicole is a dynamic speaker, and a gifted vocalist who enjoys expressing the love of God through song.
In addition to her work with LRM, Nicole is a Private Practice Therapist with over 20 years of practice, teaching and executive leadership experience. Nicole’s private practice includes service programs for those working through depression, grief, loss, and trauma and she specializes in offering culturally competent services to BIPOC communities and First Responders. In addition to her clinical practice, Nicole offers consultation and training to organizations seeking leadership development and programs to improve relational health and wellness among their teams.
Rita Rials, Playwright
Rita is a Lawrence native and established Christian playwright and Director. Rita discovered her creative style of writing after many years of experience as a self-proclaimed movie critic!
After writing her first play for her church youth group, over thirty years ago, Rita discovered the power of delivering messages of faith and hope through drama. Rita has written many plays and has brought six of them to full stage productions.
Through her work with Life Restoration Ministries, Rita brings complex life issues to the stage. Rita’s stage productions provide a hopeful message of brokenness and healing to the community.
In addition to her work with LRM, Rita has been a vital asset to many families in the Lawrence and surrounding communities as a mentor to children, teens, and families. Rita retired from over 20 years of operating her privately owned daycare business.
Rita volunteered as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for Douglas County children and families, which allowed her to assist families as they navigated the court system.
Dr. Shakiyya Bland
Dr. Bland is a longtime math educator and curriculum specialist with deep experience in culturally responsive education. She was an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in 2020-22, serving in the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of the Interior. A consulting educator, she has over 20 years of experience in math instruction, in roles including PreK-12 mathematics educator, and district mathematics curriculum instructional learning coach. Her curriculum unit, which applies geometric modeling to address food apartheid and promote food security, was published in High School Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Injustice. She also has written culturally responsive lessons, strategies, and research in partnership with BetterLesson, Inc. Master Teacher Project and Balance the Equation: A Grand Challenge for Algebra 1 and Coherent Math. Her research focuses on the histories of STEM using Africana, Indigenous, and other culturally responsive ways of contributing to and applying scientific and mathematical literacies. She holds a B.S. in Education, M.A. in Education–Curriculum Instruction and Mathematics, and an Ed.D. in Education Leadership.
Lea Bruce
Lea Bruce helps to support the mission and vision of Life Restoration Ministries through quality management. She has a passion for details and organization. She enjoys experiencing and sharing about the evidence of the impact LRM has in the lives of people in the community.
Dr. Julitha Rials
Dr. Rials is an Educator in Lawrence, Kansas.
Dr. Rials graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies in Personnel Administration from the University of Kansas. She graduated from Baker University with a Master of Business and Administration. After working in management in Corporate America for over 15 years, Dr. Rials decided to follow her heart and transition to teaching. She returned to school to complete a teaching induction program and taught computer classes and math at the middle school level. After teaching for two years, Dr. Rials decided she wanted to teach scholars with special needs and returned to school and obtained a Master of Special Education from Baker University. Dr. Rials recently earned a Doctorate of Education in School Leadership from Baker University, and is a Certified Equity Facilitator.