Beating the Winter Doldrums
Thursday, February 8, 2018 - 14:32Why does it seem like the shortest month of the year is actually the longest? It could be because of those cold, short winter days that encourage us to cocoon in our homes. However, the best ways to fight off the winter blues involve getting out!
Read MoreCommunity Profile: Jennifer Perry - Program Manager for Reinvesting in Youth
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 - 10:25
Building the social emotional skills of our youth is an essential part in what we do, from intake to discharge. Whether we complete formal assessments or engage in teachable moments via daily interactions, our goal is to support youth and families in increasing self-awareness, and empowering them to take control over their lives. A secondary goal, no less critical, is supporting staff in understanding their own needs and triggers so as a team we can provide better service to families by developing better understanding of ourselves and our communities.
Children's Institute In The News
Wednesday, January 31, 2018 - 10:11
A collection of news articles, publications and videos that Children’s Institute staff have created, contributed to or were written about CI programs. We’re proud of all the great work done by our organization and its employees, working hard every day to support the success of children.
Read More“The Person On Your Right…”
Friday, January 12, 2018 - 10:42
At our staff meetings, it’s not atypical for there to be some kind of activity or conversation. We talk about the work we do, our families, projects to come. Often, though, we like to talk about each other and the appreciation we have for our coworkers – whether it’s how they bring SEL programming to hundreds of children in New York, or the yummy cookies they baked and left in the kitchen for everyone to enjoy. At our December staff meeting, we were asked to look to the person to our right and say what we appreciate the most about them.
Read MoreHappy New Year from the SEL Center!
Monday, January 8, 2018 - 09:04It’s early January – a time of contradictions and conflicting emotions. It’s that time of year when we simultaneously want to refresh, renew, and try new things AND want to curl up on the couch and wait out the cold. It’s a time when we want our students and youth participants to buckle down and get back into work yet we get as excited about the prospect of a snow day as they do. We crave routine and order yet miss the chaos and excitement of the holidays as the winter stretches out with no good excuse to eat chocolate anywhere on the horizon.
Read MoreLooking Forward to 2018
Thursday, December 21, 2017 - 12:59
As a new year approaches, it's a good time to reflect and plan. We asked Children’s Institute staff what they hope to accomplish in 2018. We asked for big, lofty goals, and/or small ones alike. Here's what they said:
Read MoreHappy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 - 13:08
With the holiday season upon us, it’s always fun to reflect on what makes this time of year special. We asked the Children’s Institute staff what were their favorite holiday traditions growing up, and as an adult what do they look forward to. There are a few clear themes, the stuff we always think about at Christmas, yummy treats and presents. It’s also clear that as we get older, but even as children, we appreciate this time of year for the chance we get to see our loved ones and enjoy spending time with each other.
Read MoreCalming Children’s Holiday-Induced Anxieties
Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 10:51
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” . . . or is it? For many of the children in our classroom, the holidays bring with them a whole slew of stressful thoughts and anxieties. Many of the kids we work with are worrying about money, family situations, gift-giving, being “different” in their beliefs, and loss. All of these factors can cause children to sink deeper into anxiety and despair at a time when the mainstream media is screaming, “Joy! Happiness!! Merriment!!!” As educators, what can we do to help them embrace this season with hope rather than trepidation?
Read MoreChildren’s Institute 2017 Coterie
Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - 09:50
Last week, Children’s Institute hosted their biennial Community Update and Coterie Induction. The Coterie inductees were Deborah Johnson, Dr. Jeff Kaczorowski and the late Gary Lazenby. What is a coterie? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as an intimate and often exclusive group of persons with a unifying common interest or purpose.· Children’s Institute defines it as a group of special friends whose contribution to Children's Institute is ongoing and significant; whether it be intellectual property, financial property, volunteerism, or a combination of the above.
Read MoreRising Teacher Stress and How SEL Can Help
Thursday, November 2, 2017 - 15:04
A study from the American Federation of Teachers was released on Monday of this week, revealing that teacher stress is on the rise, and remains at rates startlingly higher than the general workforce population. Almost 5,000 respondents took the opportunity to reflect on tensions in their workplace, some randomly sampled from the AFT’s union membership and most voluntary respondents through social media channels. Cumulatively, 61% of these educators find their positions to be “always” or “often” stressful. More than half of the respondents reported a full week’s worth of poor mental health days every month, perhaps because they are being “bullied” by administrators or students (27% report incidents of this nature). On the whole, educators feel they have less impact on policy decisions and professional development content, and less control over their classrooms. They see more instances of verbal aggression among students and the majority of them do all of this on 5-7 hours of sleep a night.
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