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THE NUMBER OF POOR students enrolled in a particular school or living in a certain school district is one of the most important education data points that exists, and the stakes are high for getting the count right. The figures are used to direct billions of dollars in federal and state aid, and they're a pillar of K-12 accountability systems that ensure disadvantaged students are keeping up with their wealthier peers. But the method that's traditionally used to track them – how many...

In an innocuous meeting room on the south side of Newark, a small city in central Ohio, about 20 people, members of the Newark Think Tank on Poverty 's leadership team, are gathered on a Sunday afternoon in late October. They are deciding on a new campaign, and Eric Lee is hoping it will focus on addiction —hoping that, as an organization, it will begin to advocate for equal treatment for all users, whether their drug of choice is opioids or methamphetamine. The think tank, focused primarily...

Meet the incomparable Chris Amidon, BSN, RN, NCSN. We met on Twitter, connected by the power of purpose. Chris's profile got my attention because of the intentional way she described herself. Chris shared what she believed in , what an inspiring introduction. This is Chris's Twitter profile description: Chris stands for all of these things not only in words but in action. She volunteers tirelessly for those who are marginalized and she speaks for those who have no voice. I admire her...

As one year comes to an end, the tradition of creating resolutions for ourselves in the next begins. How do you decide on what goal to work towards? This year, my 2019 resolution is going to come from looking back on 2018. I used the passion planner this year, a combined journal and organizer, so the highs and lows were easy to identify. The highlights include completing my coursework at school, setting clear boundaries with my time, exercising, and cutting back on some not helpful habits...

When the IRA bomb exploded, Darren Swift , an army dog handler in Belfast, had several split-second decisions to make. One of his legs had been blown off; the other, along with two fingers, was hanging by a thread. His first instinct was to shoot himself, he now readily admits, but unusually, as he was feeding his dog at the time, he was without a weapon. The second was to rip off his remaining leg to enable him to drag his body more quickly to safety. It is gory, vivid and explicit material...

Community engagement is a wonderful thing, especially when it creates a new avenue to provide intervention and prevention methods that can reduce the impact of childhood trauma, or for that matter, prevent the trauma itself. Trauma-informed care has become a movement of sorts in the Johnson City area, and with a newly created position at Niswonger Children’s Hospital, there is potential for that system of care to impact the huge healthcare footprint now occupied by Ballad Health.

During the industrial age, when high school was the gateway to the American dream, public-school systems covered the costs of earning a diploma. Today, however, as associate’s degrees have replaced high-school diplomas as the indispensable ticket into the middle class, families are forced to cover the costs of tuition and more. If the information-age economy demands a workforce with additional training, we need to begin cutting students and families the same deal: Anyone willing to work hard...

We need a better understanding of substance dependence and its root cause if we want to improve treatment outcomes.

I have been browsing the community, and am delighted to find so many books, ministries, and the wide variety of resources that everyone has created regarding trauma recovery. I can see that my life has been an exercise in survival, and my education in ACEs was designed to teach me to teach the lessons I learned during the process of learning to build my own resilience. In my younger days, I was an "old-school" Sunday School teacher, but my recovery has taught me that I am an artsy, crafty...

Due to demand, more slots have been added to session 1 of "Starting & Growing Resilient Communities: Online & In Real Life (IRL)" , an interactive webinar training series focused on developing existing and potential online community managers and IRL ACEs champions. If you are not a current online community manager, please know that ALL are welcome. This series is dedicated to providing insight into creating sustainable and effective online & IRL ACEs intiatives. "Starting &...

Childhood trauma. Adverse childhood experiences. Toxic stress. Trauma-informed. These are NOT FOUND anywhere in the proposed objective s for Healthy People 2030. We need you to speak up for childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences to ensure the Healthy People 2030 objectives guide our nation in addressing the leading public health concerns. [For more on this campaign, go to https://salud-america.org/tell-govt-address-childhood-trauma-in-healthy-people-2030/ ]

Teenagers who have suffered adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — such as physical or emotional abuse, or having a parent who is incarcerated or addicted to drugs or alcohol — are at greater risk of being overweight or obese, according to a new study . In fact, the study found that the more kinds of adverse experiences children endured, the more likely they would have excessive weight issues by middle school or high school. “This study adds to our understanding of childhood overweight and...