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By Aaricka Washington, Photo: Solutions Journalism Exchange, The 74, March 24, 2022 Kyla Payne distinctly remembers being on edge any time she entered Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. The 16-year-old felt uncomfortable being monitored by campus police officers who seemed to be intent on finding crimes and rule violations that weren’t there, Payne said. “I know for me and my friends, it was difficult trying to live just as a high school student and live freely and be creative when you have...

Note: A CDC update provided a link to a new page on the CDC website on Creating Positive Childhood Experiences. It includes sections on "What are ACEs" and "Everyone has a role to play" (parents and caregivers, coworkers, and everyone) in creating safe and healthy conditions for all children, including community programs and policies. It includes a 3-minute video and Resources section. Healthy and happy childhoods start now. Learn how you can help! Children and families thrive when they have...

By Richard Mendel, Photo: Getty Images, The 74, March 29, 2022 T he COVID-19 pandemic has been a nightmare for teenagers. The U.S. surgeon general and the American Academy of Pediatrics recently declared a nationwide adolescent mental health crisis, as did the president of the United States . Academic achievement tests show wholesale learning loss. School attendance has plummeted. And these difficulties are being felt most among students who were already behind before COVID — youth of color,...

Growing up as the eldest daughter in a family of three girls and three boys in Nairobi, Kenya, Becky Ndung’u and all her siblings attended school, which is mandatory for children ages six through 14. Her parents—both farmers and her father also a lifelong government accountant—were committed to providing all their children a good education. Her education began in a public school, followed by a private high school. Our conversation was conducted in English, but Ndung’u is also fluent in her...

Adolescents, Attachment & ACEs Science In this webinar the new PACES Connection CEO, Ingrid Cockhren, will explore the connection between advise childhood experiences, trauma, attachment styles and various types of abuse in dating and romantic relationships. She will examine the systemic nature of trauma and adversity and how early adversity is a root cause of poor relationship outcomes in adolescence and early adulthood. This webinar will also outline systemic solutions for populations...

By Madeline Holcombe, Photo: Shutterstock, CNN Health, March 21, 2022 There is more we can do to make our kids feel seen, accepted and secure -- and it starts with adding more terms for gender identity and sexual orientation to the official forms we give them, according to a new study. Researchers in Minnesota analyzed data from students across the state in grades eight, nine and 11, finding that a significant portion of the youth population identified with terms including lesbian, gay,...

By Gina Caneva, Photo: Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times, Chicago Sun-Times, March 13, 2022 A few weeks ago, a colleague of mine stepped into our suburban high school’s library, sat down and took a deep breath before slumping her shoulders and opening up her laptop. I could tell that something was bothering her. I know the look of helplessness mixed with defeat all too well. Eighteen years ago, when I was a teacher at Corliss High School on Chicago’s South Side, I had that same look as I stood in the...

By John MacPhee, Photo: Getty Images, The 74 Million, March 14, 2022 P resident Joe Biden recently gave his first State of the Union address , highlighting the urgent need to address the youth mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic and providing recommendations for how the various institutions that serve and surround young people can do so. Perhaps the most important of these institutions is the one where teens and young adults spend most of their time: their schools. Although...

By Mavis Sanders, Photo: Unsplash, Child Trends, March 17, 2022 In Spring 2020, when schools abruptly closed due to COVID-19, millions of children in low-income communities lost access to free and reduced-price meals . Food insecurity and the risk of hunger subsequently increased for these children and their families. Full-service community schools (FSCSs)—schools that integrate social and health services, extended learning opportunities, family and community engagement, and collaborative...

There's a stigma around teachers taking time off People still tell me on a regular basis how lucky I am to have summers off. When I recently told someone that I don't generally take the full summer off — last summer I spent two full weeks away taking courses, another few weeks lesson planning, and yet more time preparing for the coming year — they said they didn't think that was the norm. The data tells a different story: About one in six teachers work second (or third) jobs during the...

Trauma in schools is real and has been worsened by the pandemic. This has not spared Kenyan schools. There is need to create mental health awareness by introducing Trauma Informed practices and create trauma sensitive schools. Teachers in Kenya have experienced burn out, fatigue and attrition well known as compassion fatigue or secondary trauma. Kenya education has lots of challenges; in 2013 the presidential aspirant then Mwai Kibaki promised free primary school education. After he became...

By Lily Bohlke, Photo: Teran/Adobe Stock, Public News Service, March 8, 2022 A program in Massachusetts aims to provide training on trauma-informed care for early educators. It's called Readying Educators and Developing Young Children for Great Outcomes (READYGO). The first cohort of early educators enrolled in the program is in the midst of the second of two courses on creating trauma-informed learning environments and behavioral-management skills. Joe Diamond, executive director of the...