Education
Marion's Story
Marion’s Story: Making a Change Watching Marion play basketball, talk about his favorite foods or joke around with friends, it’s difficult to see him as anything but a happy, well-adjusted 12-year-old. That was not the case when he joined the S.T.R.E.E.T. program a year and a half ago. “I wasn’t very good at coping with…
Read MoreRetreats Offer Self-Care Tools to Alleviate Secondary Trauma
Lindsey Neal is no stranger to the practice and benefits of mindfulness. A former massage therapist who now teaches Spanish and health at Battle Creek Central High School, she leads yoga classes weekly for high school students and works out regularly at a gym as part of her self-care routine. Still, she says, her own…
Read MoreTurning Readers Into Leaders: Book Drive Goal Set at 15,000
Children who read well tend to succeed in school. That fact has led United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region to spearhead an effort to collect 15,000 donated new or gently used children’s books — representing every child between kindergarten and third grade in the region. “Through third grade, kids are learning to…
Read MoreEmotional Shrapnel: Facing Secondary Trauma
When a bomb goes off, the damage spreads beyond the point of the explosion. Fragments tear apart the surrounding landscape—and anyone standing nearby. The same is true when young people experience trauma. As they seek help, this emotional shrapnel may scar those around them. Called secondary trauma, it’s particularly tough on educators. And it’s a…
Read MoreRAWK: Unleashing the power of writing
Writing can be scary. Sharing that writing with others can be even more nerve-wracking. But in one special classroom at Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts, sixth-graders learn how to overcome that fear. The RAWK Writers’ Room (RWR), a program of Read and Write Kalamazoo, aims to help students improve their reading and writing…
Read MoreCracking the Book on Leadership
United Way board members are inspiring kids to read — and gaining new insights in the process. During March and April, Interim CEO Chris Sargent offered children’s books to UWBCKR’s Board of Directors and encouraged them to read one with a child. “Our Board expressed eagerness to dive deep into the work of United Way…
Read MoreAppreciation Week Highlights Youth Development Professionals
Have you thanked a youth development professional lately? Youth Development Professionals Appreciation Week, which kicks off today, is the perfect opportunity. Join us as we celebrate with the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYD Network) and the National AfterSchool Association in recognizing the professionals at the heart of our communities’ out-of-school programs. “We know youth development…
Read MoreLearning Circles encourage growth, collaboration
More than 100 nonprofit leaders in the areas of health and education came together this month for two forums aimed at making connections, exploring resources, and learning from one another. The newly developed forums, called Learning Circles, will take place several times each year for funded partners of United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region.…
Read MoreCollaborative Lifts Up Literacy During Reading Month And Beyond
Nearly 2,000 new children’s books towered wonderfully and precariously high on the tables of the boardroom at United Way’s Battle Creek location recently. The books, the result of a holiday drive organized by Barnes & Noble, were sorted and boxed by members of the Battle Creek Community Literacy Collaborative, but they won’t stay that way…
Read MoreHundreds Of Area Students Come Together In Community-Wide 'Youth Day of Caring' Volunteer Effort
Today, 475 Calhoun County teenagers played hooky from school. It wasn’t a mass protest; rather, it was a powerful example of young people making a difference through volunteerism. Students from nine Calhoun County area schools took part in the eigth annual Youth Day of Caring. Volunteer groups, ranging in size from five to 75 high…
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