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By Kalyn Belsha, Michael Rubinkam, Gabrielle LaMarr, and Larry Fenn, Chalkbeat, September 11, 2020 Missi Magness wanted her children back in school. The parent of a first-grader and a sixth-grader who attend schools on Indianapolis’ southeast side struggled trying to oversee her children’s schooling while working from home this spring. “They need the structure, they need the socialization, they just need to go,” said Magness. “‘I love you, but here’s your backpack, here’s your lunch ... have...

By Stephen Merrill, Edutopia, September 11, 2020 Some of the first adorable patients to trickle into Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’s pediatric clinic when it opened in 2007—long before she was named the first surgeon general of California—were referred by teachers and principals. Sitting in her examination rooms back then, in one of San Francisco’s poorest neighborhoods, Burke Harris knew almost immediately that something was amiss. Her young patients arrived with tentative diagnoses of...

Damla Aktekin is a Healer, Coach, and Writer, who helps other self-healers and healers move beyond their energetic wounds and shine brighter than they thought possible so that they can fully show up in their lives to heal themselves, their families and their soul-tribe.

How Do You Help Police Officers Address Trauma? Officer mental health is an often overlooked component of safety and wellness. Good mental health is just as essential as good physical health for law enforcement to be effective in keeping our country and our communities safe from crime and violence. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), between 7 to 19 percent of police officers have symptoms of PTSD and 1 in 4 police officers have thoughts of suicide at some point in...

By David Ludden, Psychology Today, September 8, 2020 The political divide between conservatives and liberals in America seems to be widening day by day. But where do our political orientations come from? Research on this question points to early childhood experiences. For instance, adults often adopt the political leanings of their parents. Nevertheless, there are plenty of exceptions to this tendency, and we’ve all experienced family gatherings that turned into fierce political debates.

As part of NJAAP's Healthy Spaces program, we invite you to join us on Thursday, September 24th from 12:00-1:00 PM for our virtual educational workshop, Tools & Resources for Coping with Stress, Fear and Anxiety! Register Here ! This virtual session will share tools and resources to support mental and behavioral health during the pandemic. Dr. Leopardi and Dr. Gubernick will share guidance on self-care, stress management, and positive discipline. Participants will also engage in...

Bad things happen to good people. I know. My six-year-old son was murdered by a former student in his first grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School alongside 19 of his classmates and six educators. We read about those who die in countless natural disasters all over the world. Thousands of good people perished in the 9/11 attacks. The media shares headlines of brutality and destruction on a daily basis. The labeling of good versus evil has helped us to categorize unspeakable horror in...

Our Community of Practice for adults who are important to young children is a gentle, kind place to explore early childhood learning & wellness. We're 16 members strong, and invite more to join. The work is online, flexible pace, and a commitment of 1 hour per week. Click to learn more >>> https://lnkd.in/et8eV8x @Melissa McPheeters @Adriana van Altvorst

By Camila Barbour, EdSource, September 10, 2020 As a community school manager in Oakland, where I coordinate student support services to increase opportunities for learning, I’m always especially attuned to the trauma that students in my school carry on a daily basis — and to how that burden is even heavier when they come to school hungry. There is an urgent need to ensure these kids get the school meals they rely on. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced an...

From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, September 10, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has had unprecedented, widespread impacts on households across America, raising concerns about our ability to weather long-term health and financial harms. While billions of dollars have been appropriated by federal and state governments since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, a series of polls by NPR, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation find that a...

By Tammy Chen, The New York Times, September 8, 2020 “How’s your dental practice?” a friend of mine asked, brow furrowed, concern evident on her face. I’ve seen this look a lot recently. Since the onset of the pandemic, with a citywide shutdown and social distancing measures firmly entrenched, more than a handful of friends and family members have presumed I must be on the brink of closing. But I let her know that I am busier than ever. “Really?” she asked. “How’s that possible?” [ Please...

By Ed Yong, The Atlantic, September 29, 2020 A rmy ants will sometimes walk in circles until they die. The workers navigate by smelling the pheromone trails of workers in front of them, while laying down pheromones for others to follow. If these trails accidentally loop back on themselves, the ants are trapped . They become a thick, swirling vortex of bodies that resembles a hurricane as viewed from space. They march endlessly until they’re felled by exhaustion or dehydration. The ants can...