EXPANDED LEARNING 360/365
  • ABOUT
    • MISSION & PURPOSE
    • PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
    • Contact
  • RESOURCES
    • RESEARCH & ARTICLES
    • 360°/365 ARTICLES
    • TOOLS & VIDEOS
  • TRAINING & SUPPORT
  • BLOG

360°/365 Blog

Supporting Our Youth in Times of Fear and Threats

8/20/2019

0 Comments

 
By Sam Piha

As our young people are returning to classrooms and afterschool programs, our country is gripped by confusion, fear, and anger that is a result of hate speech, mass shootings and deportations. This is particularly true for communities of color and other marginalized groups. It is important that afterschool program leaders think about how they will respond and support their young people in light of this crisis. ​
Picture
Source: Keranews.org
My family is documented and we’re residents, but regardless of that fact, we’re just scared. We’re afraid that something can go down. Personally, I didn’t want to go to school. Anywhere I go, I feel threatened.
- Roman, 17yrs. old, El Paso, TX
The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE) offers the following tips for afterschool providers:

  • Understand and acknowledge that some anxiety is normal.
  • Connect with your community. Talk to parents in your program, talk to others working in your program. Just let people know that you are there for them and the kids.
  • Turn anxiety into action. If your program works with a community that is more deeply impacted and you have the flexibility, find a way to allow the kids you work with to volunteer or find a cause they can support that builds the community up.
  • Be available. Kids hear more than we may think. While you don’t want to introduce a topic that may trigger trauma, make sure the kids you serve know that you are there and willing to talk to them about their concerns and fears.
  • Take care of yourself. These events are hard for adults too. Take your own mental health temperature and know when you need to ask for support or seek help. Remember you can’t help the kids if your trauma has been triggered.
  • You can try The American Academy of Pediatrics’s website Healthychildren.org, a thorough and straightforward guide to talking to kids about tragedies and other news events.

​We would add that it is important for program participants have a regular opportunity, such as a 
sharing circle, for young people to express their thoughts and concerns - not just when there is a local or national crisis. ​
Picture
Source: Washington Post
TAKING ACTION
It is important that adults and youth do not fall into hopelessness. To avoid this, it is suggested that we find ways to take action for change. Below are some leading organizations, assembled by Youth Service America, that will help you take action:

• March for Our Lives
• Everytown for Gun Safety
• Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence
• The Brady Campaign

HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO ICE RAIDS?
We are currently researching how  expanded learning programs should respond to ICE raids that impact their participants. We do know that some school districts have addressed this and if your program is school-based, you should seek advice from your school district host. Below are some recommendations from Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), who developed a 10-step guide to help schools and educators support children affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids:​

  • Make counselors, social workers, and other professionals available to help students and families who may be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Identify bilingual liaisons who can, if needed, provide support and translation for students and families.
  • Designate safe spaces, such as school gyms, where students and families can wait for assistance if a parent is detained.
  • Provide the support and legal protections afforded by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act if students have no place to live.
  • Ensure that law enforcement officers are not on school grounds, unless needed, because their presence could re-traumatize students and discourage families from seeking support.
Picture
Source: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Sam Piha is the founder and principal of Temescal Associates, a consulting group dedicated to building the capacity of leaders and organizations in education and youth development.

    Sam began his career in 1974 as an afterschool worker, an experience that led to 10 years of classroom teaching, and later work as a child and family counselor and school social worker. 

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • ABOUT
    • MISSION & PURPOSE
    • PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
    • Contact
  • RESOURCES
    • RESEARCH & ARTICLES
    • 360°/365 ARTICLES
    • TOOLS & VIDEOS
  • TRAINING & SUPPORT
  • BLOG