February 2020

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, February 2020 A safe, affordable, and stable home in a community with good schools, fair-paying jobs, and access to healthy foods and green spaces is foundational for well-being. However, housing inequities in this country are pervasive. Past and ongoing housing discrimination in the United States has created widespread segregation by race and by income, fostering our nation’s race- and income-based health inequities. In 2015, the U.S. Department of...

By Penchan Charoensuthipan, Bangkok Post, February 8, 2020 Since Chin was a young boy, his world has revolved around Moo Baan Dek, where he was fed, clothed, schooled -- and loved. At 19, he still makes time to visit the charity-funded primary school in Kanchanaburi where he grew up. "I miss everyone here, I still want a hug from Mae [mother] Aew," he said, referring to Ratchanee Dhongchai, the school's headmistress. [ Please click here to read more .]

From the American Academy of Pediatrics, February 5, 2020 One of the most important parts of parenting is also the sweetest: showing your child plenty of love and affection. “Building strong bonds and a positive relationship with your child has a nurturing effect on their physical, emotional, and social development,” said Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and medical editor of its parenting website, HealthyChildren.org. “As parents, the...

From Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, February 2020 Please join us on Thursday, February 27th at 11:00AM - 12:00PM PT / 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET for our monthly Alliance for Boys and Men of Color network call to hear from the RYSE Center on how and why they use radical inquiry to identify the needs and solutions within their community. RYSE’s radical inquiry strategy aims to shift what research looks like, sounds like, and feels like with an inquiry process that is humanizing and moves toward...

Tonight I send my love out to you. You the Grandma who sleeps with a baby monitor on her nightstand to hear each breath, possible cough or cry of the grandchild she’s raising. To you the Grandpa who gives up a romantic dinner with grandma to attend the “Daddy” Daughter dance with his granddaughter. To you the Pre-School, Pre-K, Headstart, Great Start Readiness Program Teacher who manages 16 children with unconditional love for each one, even the boy who closes his eyes, shakes his fists and...

From Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, February 2020 California students have big dreams. Unfortunately. some students face a much tougher road to achieve them. It’s up to us to remove barriers in the education system that get in their way. Working with Alliance for Continuous Improvement partners, Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation developed this video as a way to help local educators, families, students and community groups engage with their schools, districts and...

By National Voices Committee, February 2020 This VOICES Coloring Book, released in 2020 by the National VOICES Committee, is a coloring book designed by survivors for survivors. VOICES Chapters from across the country designed original coloring pages that were then digitized and bound into this coloring book to provide hope and healing to survivors walking into Family Justice Centers. Our vision is that the VOICES Coloring Book would be printed and shared in Family Justice Centers across the...

I just completed this short piece on Medium. It may help as educators and others reflect on the 2nd anniversary of the Parkland School Shooting. The piece has current and future resources. https://medium.com/@KarenGrossEdu/use-your-heart-today-b0439ab29070

Andrea C Hummel is trained in multicultural diversity, mediation and trauma recovery. She holds a Masters in applied anthropology from American University, with post-graduate studies in intercultural conflict mediation. She's trained in ShadowWork and Multi-Track Diplomacy, and holds a theory certification in TSM psychodrama for post-traumatic growth.

Love Yourself!

The journey toward mental wellness and self-care can be especially challenging for trauma survivors. According to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Trauma is literally translated to “wound, injury, or shock,” and Esther Giller of the Sidran Institute says “[trauma] refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope.” With these statements in mind, we can begin to understand the challenges trauma survivors face when working toward...

Social work has never been the focus of my professional life. I was born and raised in the IT world, so it was a surprise when someone suggested that childhood trauma was something that I could help solve. When I first heard the term adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), I was asked to take a ten question survey about experiences that may have impacted my life. No problem, I thought, my childhood wasn’t perfect but “trauma?” Nah! It’s amazing how triggering ten questions can be. As I...