Upcoming Events
Friday, May 17
High School RC Network Luncheon
Please note:
RC Luncheons are open to resource coordinators only. June 14-15Focus on Illinois Education Research SymposiumI Hotel and Conference Center
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Community School Garden Resources
Last month resource coordinators gathered for a Resource Coordinator Luncheon at Reavis School that focused on the benefits of school gardens, including the positive impacts they can have on student engagement, social development, and learning. Representatives from the Chicago Botanic Gardens talked about their school garden program at Reavis School and other school- and community-based sites across the Chicagoland area. There are many resources that can help schools get started, including this list of curriculum and activities, teacher professional development and potential funding sources. This list also contains information that resource coordinators can provide to youth and families to locate farmers' markets across the City and to use LINK cards to double the value of purchases made at farmers' markets.
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-- SAVE THE DATE --
Annual Community
Schools Forum
November 14-15, 2013
Hilton Lisle/Naperville, IL
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-- We've Moved! --
The Federation is now located at:
33 West Grand
Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60654
We also have new phone and fax numbers:
P: 312-836-0854
F: 312-836-0877
**********
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Recap: Stakeholder Symposium on Child & Adolescent Trauma
On Friday, April 26th seventy community school practitioners, school administrators, mental health professionals and others gathered to explore how trauma affects a young person's development and the ways in which community schools can respond to mitigate these effects. The morning started with a presentation by Jeff Levy, CTRS, LCSW, in which he set the stage for our conversation by defining trauma and ways in which youth are exposed to violence and trauma, how the effects of trauma manifest themselves in the behavior of young people, and how trauma impacts psychosocial and neurophysiological development. Following Levy's presentation, a panel of practitioners, including Tegan Camden, LCPC (Clinical Coordinator for Children's Home Association of Illinois), Kasheryl Thomas (Resource Coordinator for Family Focus / Hirsch High School) and Patricia Berry (Student Assistance Center Consultant, Prevention First) shared their approaches to supporting young people that are displaying the effects of trauma. The materials and resources shared by all of presenters can now be found on our website. (Please see below for more information about Student Assistance and how you can implement this program at your community school).
Thank you to everyone who participated in this important discussion. We look forward to continuing this dialogue with you; please keep an eye out for information about follow-up sessions on this topic. |
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Student Assistance Programs (SAP)
At our recent Stakeholder Symposium on Child and Adolescent Trauma, panelist Patricia Berry of Prevention First shared information about Student Assistance Programs (SAP) and how they can be implemented to help school staff respond effectively to students that may be displaying the effects of trauma or other mental health needs. SAP provide a comprehensive framework for creating a system of essential support for students. The Student Assistance Center at Prevention First provides free training, technical assistance, information, and tools to develop a comprehensive SAP team within a school. Each team develops a school wide approach to prevention and intervention efforts, a structured process of matching students with appropriate interventions, and a system to monitor student progress.
SAP is an evidence-based system that utilizes a multi-disciplinary team composed of school staff which can include: resource coordinators, administrators, teachers, school counselors, school nurses and other support staff. This team creates universal prevention strategies, early identification and intervention for students who are struggling with non-cognitive barriers to learning, such as mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse, or other life issues. Since community schools are structured to connect students and families to community resources, SAP can provide a framework for engaging more adults to identify students in need of additional supports.
Students can be referred in a number of ways including by staff, self or friend referral. After a student has been identified, the team determines a course of action depending on the student's specific issues. SAP has proven to have a number of positive effects, including increasing students' performance in school, sense of self-worth, and ability to communicate and express feelings appropriately while also decreasing students' problem behaviors, dropout rates, discipline referrals and alcohol and drug use.
Click here to learn more about Student Assistance in Illinois. You can also email Dale Gasparovic or Kristie Shurtleff to learn about about implementing SAP at your school.
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Ensure Students Have Access to Free Meals This Summer
Because of the difficulty that many families have feeding their children during the summer months, Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan urge schools and community-based organizations to take advantage of federal summer meals programs to ensure that children receive free meals. Childhood food insecurity remains at unacceptable levels across the country and children are most acutely at risk in the summer when they do not have access to school meals. The nation's principals have a lead role in caring for students and helping them achieve and excel during the school year. Your leadership can help to ensure that those same children do not go hungry in your community this summer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Meal Programs available to schools include the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) as well as the Seamless Summer Option in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). These programs operate as a partnership among the Federal government, State agencies, and local organizations to serve free meals to children age 18 years and younger.
In 2012, about 2.5 million children received summer meals through the SFSP. And while an additional 1 million children received meals through the NSLP Seamless Summer program, the combined 3.5 million children served in the summer months through these two programs is far fewer than the 21 million children who receive free or reduced price lunches through the National School Lunch Program during the school year. This means that during the summer we are not reaching the vast majority of children who rely on school meals to meet their nutritional needs. You can help change this by:
- Providing children in your community with meals at your school this summer. Even if your school will not be offering summer programming, if it is located in a low-income area it can be a summer feeding site. Apply to be a summer feeding site here.
- Asking teachers and staff in your school to share information about nearby summer meal sites, whether the sites are at your school or at other locations in your community. Click here to find local feeding sites or call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE.
You can also learn more about the USDA Summer Meal Programs and how you can help feed more children in your community by visiting: www.summerfood.usda.gov.
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Webinar: How to Advocate for Community Schools on the Hill
May 22nd 3-4pm EST / 2-3pm CST
In preparation for their National Community Schools Education Day on June 5-6, in Washington DC, the national Coalition for Community Schools is offering a webinar to help practitioners effectively advocate for community schools. Presenters will review highlights of the Coalition's Advocacy Toolkit to help you feel fully prepared to advocate effectively with your federal and state legislators on Education Day. Presenters will review how to prepare your "pitch" and "asks" in your meetings, activities to take part in on Education Day beyond legislator meetings, and more. You will walk away feeling informed and ready to advocate! Register here.
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