Tagged With "Yoga 4 Life"
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A People’s Curriculum for the Earth: Teaching Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis (zinnedproject.org)
A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is a collection of articles, role plays, simulations, stories, poems, and graphics to help breathe life into teaching about the environmental crisis. The book features some of the best articles from Rethinking Schools magazine alongside classroom-friendly readings on climate change, energy, water, food, and pollution — as well as on people who are working to make things better. At a time when it’s becoming increasingly obvious that life on Earth is at...
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Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk Series (socialjusticebooks.org)
In response to the overwhelming number of requests for recommendations of anti-bias children’s books, we are launching the Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk series. Beyond just sharing booklists, we want to share how we select high-quality, anti-bias books so that parents and teachers can do the same. Teaching for Change associate director Allyson Criner Brown is producing the series for parents, teachers, and librarians. She explains, Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk is part anti-bias...
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Five Things We Get Wrong (D'OH) with SEL
SEL. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). My lil’ ole school counselor heart should be beaming with joy. SEL is FINALLY receiving the limelight it has long deserved in education. Most everyone everywhere is proclaiming the importance of SEL! So why do I want to smack myself upside the head (Homer Simpson style – D’OH) most every time I read about, hear about, or see an SEL effort in a school. Because we keep getting it WRONG! So before I start in with all the ways in which we are screwing it up,...
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How to Help a Teen Out of a Homework Hole (nytimes.com)
Pandemic school is taking its toll on students, especially teens. A recent study , conducted by NBC News and Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, found that 50 percent more kids in high school report feeling disengaged from school this year than last. In December, Education Week reported that schools were seeing “ dramatic increases in the number of failing or near-failing grades ” on report cards. A major symptom of school disengagement...
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There Is No Vaccine for Grief (nytimes.com)
Anticipatory grief is a well-documented phenomenon in grief counseling, said Dr. Katherine Shear, the founder and director for the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University. But usually researchers study anticipatory grief in environments like hospices , where loss is imminent. What many of us are experiencing right now is more nebulous. Dr. Shear cautioned that spiraling into anticipatory grief for a loss that may not even happen is likely to be unhelpful. Of course, even if you...
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4 Ways The Pandemic Can Grow Your Character And Career (thriveglobal.com)
The pandemic has created a lot of heartbreak, fear and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the workforce. On top of our personal woes, many employees have grappled with fears of loved ones and themselves contracting Covid-19, not to mention the isolation and burnout of remote working and helping children with schoolwork. Although many of us have endured a lot of stress and mental health challenges, there’s good news on the horizon, known as post-traumatic growth (PTG)—the benefits...
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Preserving Education amid COVID: The Vital Role of Community Partnerships (nonprofitquarterly.org)
Nearly one year ago, schools across the country abruptly shut their physical doors due to COVID-19. In spite of heroic efforts on the part of teachers and administrators, the pivot to online learning was uneven and chaotic at best. The Pew Research Center estimates that only half of students have successfully engaged in distance learning while at home, with students from lower income families, in particular, losing ground. One report predicts the pandemic will cause the average student to...
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We’ve changed our name to PACEs Connection!
We have some very exciting news! As of today, ACEs Connection is now PACEs Connection. PACEs stands for Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
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New Resource: Strategies for Trauma-Informed School Communities
The California Essentials for Childhood Initiative is excited to share a newly developed attached, “Strategies for Trauma-Informed School Communities: Practices to Improve Resiliency in School-Aged Children and Address Adverse Childhood Experiences”. This new resource is intended to assist state and local public health programs, child-serving systems, non-profits, and philanthropic organizations in their efforts to educate about the need for trauma-informed school policies and practices that...
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Mind Out Loud: FREE Online Student Event for California Middle & High School Students hosted by Wellness Together, San Diego County Office of Education, and the California Department of Education
Wellness Together School Mental Health, in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and the California Department of Education, will host Mind Out Loud – a free three-day virtual event on May 4-6, 2021 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. for middle and high school students to convene and boldly discuss mental health; connect with peers across California; hear from engaging speakers to become equipped with practical tools for wellness; increase mental health awareness and advocacy for...
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(At Least) 10 Things Educators Can Do to End the Prison Industrial Complex (edliberation.org)
Education for Liberation requires bold critique, creative acts, and, particularly for teachers, a willingness to take risks outside the status quo. Below we offer suggestions based on the ways many teachers and other youth advocates are building the capacity to challenge the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC). We know teachers are already practicing, generating and sharing other interventions. This is not a checklist of must-dos, nor is it an exhaustive list or intended to apply to every...
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Free Mindfulness Apps Worthy of Your Attention (mindful.org)
There’s no shortage of mindfulness and meditation apps these days, promising to help you combat anxiety, sleep better , hone your focus, and more. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that more than 2,000 new meditation apps launched between 2015 and 2018, and offerings have only increased as a result of higher demand during the pandemic—according to the New York Times , mindfulness apps surged in 2020. We took the overwhelm out of finding the most valuable and easy-to-use mindfulness...
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Mental health, equity should be schools’ focus as students return, report says (edsource.org)
To help students readjust to life after the pandemic, schools should use their Covid-relief funding windfall to imbue mental health, equity and relationships into every aspect of the school day, according to a sweeping new report released Thursday. The report, “ Reimagine and Rebuild: Restarting school with equity at the center ,” was co-published by Policy Analysis for California Education and an array of other groups, including the California PTA, the California Teachers Association,...
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PACEs Connection presents the "Historical Trauma in America" series
PACEs Connection's Race & Equity Workgroup will be examining historical trauma in the United States of America and its impact on American society in a series of virtual discussions. This series will highlight each unique region within the United States and outline how unresolved historical trauma has impacted every aspect of American life and directly shapes the socio-political landscape of today as well as the overall well-being of Americans. Discussions will make connections between...
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How to Meditate with Anxiety (mindful.org)
Explore how mindfulness and meditation can help soften feelings of anxiousness, reduce stress, and calm a panic attack in our new mindful guide to meditation for anxiety. Anxiety is our body’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m experiencing too much stress all at once.” This happens to the best of us. But when that feeling of being “always on alert” becomes background noise that doesn’t go away, that’s when it’s time to seek help. Mindfulness and meditation for anxiety is a growing field that can help...
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The Hybrid Workplace Can Be a More Human Workplace (thriveglobal.com)
The past year taught us valuable lessons about work and well-being. With the abrupt shift to remote work, many of us found ourselves juggling the demands of work, school, and home life in new ways. The pandemic highlighted and magnified the connection between work and overall well-being. It exposed all of us to new sources of stress and different kinds of fatigue. On the plus side, it taught us valuable lessons about how we can reorganize our lives, our work, and our workplaces so that they...
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Free nationwide SmartPhone program
Sharing - information from a community partner: The new infrastructure bill has $19.2 Billion dollars for this free nationwide smartphone program. The program is predicted to last the next 5 to 10 years. Super easy and quick to sign up. Takes less than 3 minutes. Here is a special link to sign up: https://www. safelinkwireless.com/ Enrollment/Safelink/landing? PromotionCode=WASL710 The applicant just needs to input the last 4 digits of their S.S.#. The new infrastructure bill has $19.2...
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American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)
Established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books. Dr. Jean Mendoza joined AICL as a co-editor in 2016. Please visit the website by clicking here, https://americanindiansinchild.../best-books.html?m=1 American Indians in Children's Literature is used by Native and non-Native parents, librarians, teachers, editors, professors, and students. It is...
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Teen Dad Balancing Baby and Books This Father’s Day (learn4life.org)
We know that 200,000 teen girls give birth every year in the U.S., but what about the other half of the equation – the 200,000 fathers? Unfortunately, only about 33 percent of fathers under 18 stick around to help raise the child. When you consider that 70% of those teen moms don’t graduate – it’s not hard to imagine why. For Father’s Day, we are spotlighting one teen dad who takes his role seriously and is actively parenting his child. Meet Ricky C., 19, who brings his 4-month-old son to...
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A Little Understanding Goes a Long Way with Student Success (learn4life.org)
The transition to high school from junior high was challenging for Serina. The schoolwork became more demanding, and her teachers weren’t giving her what she needed . “Starting high school changed my perspective. Everything got harder and nobody tried to understand where I needed the help. The teachers just wanted to get through the class,” said Serina, age 17, who continued to struggle at her previous school. When she first came to Learn4Life, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her...
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Maddy Learned It’s Okay to Ask for Help (learn4life.org)
Maddy R. had a tough childhood, being in foster care, living with various relatives and the ensuing trauma and anxiety that left her feeling lost. “Striving for academic success was the only thing that kept me alive for many years and Learn4Life sort of became my way out,” she explained. “I got the one-on-one time and patience that I needed and deserved. I had to learn that it was okay to ask for help.” Now, Maddy is helping current students learn that important life skill. After graduating...
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What Do Parents Really Want for their Children’s Education? (Learn4Life)
Learn4Life highlights National Parents’ Day to remind us of the importance of the parent voice in educational decisions that impact students LOS ANGELES (July 25, 2022) – Did you know the fourth Sunday of July is National Parents' Day? President Clinton established this day in 1994 to promote responsible parenting and to recognize positive parental role models. And shouldn’t parents’ role in education be a part of this designation? While we rely on parents to make sure their children go to...
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Learn4Life Saved Ali’s Life…and His Future Looks Bright (learn4life.org)
Have you ever eaten green chicken? Taken cold showers with other people and been locked in a cell 16 hours a day? That was just part of the horror for Ali N., 15 years old and serving time in juvenile hall. He had been running with the wrong crowd and got arrested and sentenced to probation at home. Rather than changing his behavior, he cut off his ankle monitor and went back to getting into trouble. He was re-arrested and had to serve several months in juvenile hall. “It was just horrible,...
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Highlighting our four-part Trauma-Informed Learning Community Series!
Committed planning team members met bi-weekly, beginning December 2, 2021, in preparation for the four-part Trauma-Informed Learning Community series which launched in San Diego, California, with Session #1 on May 20th. This series brought together seventy-five cross-sector service providers, agencies, and schools who work with teens, transitional-age youth, and families and was hosted by Diego Hills Central . The series would not have been the success that it is without Area Superintendent...
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First California Indian Elected to State Assembly Shares His Story with Our Highland Students (The FOCUS, a Publication from Lifelong Learning)
Assemblyman James Ramos visited students at Alta Vista Innovation High in the Inland Empire last month, with 80-95 students and families attending. He expressed his appreciation to our students for sharing their stories with them and let them know that he too came from humble beginnings and overcame many obstacles in his life to get where he is today. Ramos is a lifelong resident of the San Manuel Indian Reservation and a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe. He is the first Californian...
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We Won! (anonymous)
Author: To read the entire Anonymous article, please see the attachment below. It’s a bluebird sky day as the clouds float away leaving behind distinctive dry desert air scoured by sagebrush, tumbleweeds and settled sand. As for me, I cozily sit in a floral patterned recliner by an open window drinking in hot tea and cold air from the open window. Biscuit “puppy purrs'' wedged between the arm rest and me. Her features are concealed by white fur giving her the appearance of a couture throw...
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There’s A New Pathway to Special Education for Up to 300,000 California Children (calhealthreport.org)
Photo by aldomurillo/iStock. To read more of Roxanne Chang and ChrisAnna Mink's article, please click here. A recently passed California law, SB1016 , signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, should make it easier for DL and other children affected by FASD to access special education services. The law requires the California State Board of Education to include “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” in the definition of “other health impairment ,” one of 13 specified eligibility criteria for...
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Career Technical Education Gives High School Entrepreneurs a Jump Start on Success (Learn4Life)
Learn4Life helped Hector D. transform an idea into a business plan LOS ANGELES (February 21, 2023) – While occasionally working for his father’s landscaping business, high school student Hector D. realized that protection against sharp tools, thorny shrubs, biting insects and brutal heat could be improved with better gear. He had the idea for a technical vest that would protect workers that he is calling Arbolero – combining the Spanish word for tree and a bolero vest. Now his teachers in...
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Congratulations to our first Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC) Accredited Learning Centers in our network!
A joyous celebration on Friday, February 10, 2023 honoring the leadership of Area Superintendent Lindsay Reese , Principal Amanda Clark, and all staff members with San Diego Workforce Innovation High Schools’ Chula Vista, Linda Vista and National City Learning Centers! Area Superintendent Reese reflected on the TREC Accreditation and shared, "Trauma Resilient Educational Communities provide a safe and supportive environment for students to heal from their past traumas, while also equipping...
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The Kids Aren't Alright: The Post-Pandemic Teen Mental Health Crisis [npr.org]
From National Public Radio (NPR), Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images, National Public Radio (NPR), March 1, 2023 In the wake of the pandemic, many people are struggling with their mental health regardless of their age. But recently published data from the CDC is shedding light on how teens are faring. The numbers show that 4 in 10 U.S. high schoolers experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021. Nearly a quarter seriously considered attempting suicide. [ Please...
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The 2023 Creating Resilient Communities Accelerator Program is now Open For Registration
PACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.
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The Lasting Impact of High School Quality on Cognition 60 Years Later (neurosciencenews.com)
To read more of the Neuroscience News article, please click here. Summary: A new study has established a connection between late-life cognition and the quality of education a person was able to access in high school. Sampling over 2000 people who attended high school in the 1960s, researchers found those who had a better educational high school experience performed better in tests of cognitive function later in life than those who had attended a poorer quality high school. The findings could...
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Learn4Life Helps Students with Trauma with New Resiliency Accreditation
Image: Trauma-resilient care is becoming an essential tool for educators, especially at the high school level. To read more of Ann Abajian's article, please download the attachment to this blog post. LOS ANGELES ( June 1 , 2023) – Trauma-resilient practices are the next step in helping teachers effectively support students affected by childhood trauma, a growing epidemic among our youth. A new program that trains and certifies schools and educators called Trauma-Resilient Educational...
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Gabriella Changed Her Scenery and Changed Her Story (learn4life.org)
To read the Learn4Life article, please click here. Growing up around rampant drug use, instability at home and bullying at school is a too common reason high school students give up and drop out. For Gabriella “Gabby” M., she chose another option by removing herself from the negative situations that surrounded her. While attending a public high school in Philadelphia, Gabby was bullied and felt unsafe every day. She had enough and decided it was time for a change. She left Philadelphia and...
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This Teacher is Showing Students How Much She Cares (learn4life.org)
To read the Learn4Life article, please click here. We see time after time how students can blossom and flourish when just one adult in their life shows that they care. Tanja Politiski in our Lake Elsinore school is that inspiring, caring teacher for so many of her students…like Zane, a homeless student she was determined to help meet his goal of graduating. He was doing well with school, but then his foster mother asked him to leave their home. At age 17, the last thing he wanted to do was...
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Review of “First 60 Days” booklet: Leveraging author’s work and movement could spark revolution to prevent and heal trauma, one precious baby, child, and caregiver at a time.
(This is a review of what I believe is an important new resource for the PACEs [for positive and adverse childhood experiences] science movement. Opinions expressed are my own, and are shared as a parent, advocate, author, and longtime student of trauma, healing, and prevention. Thoughts are also shared through my lens as someone who believes, deeply, in the incredible importance of and value in building healthier, more compassionate communities to support and nurture pregnant and new...
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August COOP Meeting: Leverage the Latest Brain Science to Build Trust and Community Connections!
Our speaker for the August PACEs Connection Cooperative of Communities meeting will share ways of building community connections we may not have thought of before – starting with trust in the earliest and most important relationships – as well as some challenging news, exciting resources, and timely inspiration. Cooperative of Communities members and members of their communities are invited to join us tomorrow, August 8, 2023, at 10 a.m. PT, Noon CT, and 1 p.m. ET when we welcome Deborah...
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Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health Are NOT Synonyms
Successful health equity strategies must be inclusive, and focus on all marginalized and minoritized persons and their communities. Any lesser view will continue to yield a faulty health equity equation.
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Healing Centered Relationships & Education (Change Your Story Podcast)
To listen to the Podcast, please click here. What if one person could shift your story? One person who sees you, hears you, and is genuinely interested in helping you overcome the obstacles life has thrown at you. In this episode, my incredibly humble friend, Staci Roth, is that person in so many lives. From being an educator at Learn4Life, to creating the HOPE Program providing education and resources for teenage parents, to becoming a Trauma- Resilient Professional and Coordinator of the...
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Please join Sacramento's virtual Quarterly Youth Collaborative meeting on 1.24.24 from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm PDT.
Cathy Oupachak, Community Liaison, Marconi Learning Academy / Paseo Charter in Sacramento hosts the virtual Quarterly Youth Collaborative meeting. Being held on Wednesday, January 24th, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, please reserve at by clicking on the QR code. https://learn4.life/P463W
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How Can High Schools Better Serve Teens Experiencing Homelessness? (learn4life.org)
To read more of the Learning Newsletter's article, please click here. This week, 16-year-old Joey will sleep in a soft bed, take a warm shower and have a place to keep his belongings. He’ll then make his way to Learn4Life high school in San Diego where he is catching up on credits and hopes to graduate soon. For most of the past year, he has experienced homelessness…couch surfing when he could, and on the streets when he couldn’t. And Joey isn’t alone. In the last school year, the number of...