Being an extrovert is a double-edged sword. I can speak confidently in my college classes and in front of large groups. But everyone seems to think I’ve got it all under control, and I rarely feel that way. There’s a ticking clock always in the back of my mind. I need to graduate and become financially independent before the support I get from the foster care system disappears. [For more of this story, written by Noel Anaya, go to ...
Who should you partner with to create lasting change through resilience in your community? The Building Community Resilience (BCR) initiative aims to address, prevent, and reduce the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adverse community environments (ACEs) on children’s health and wellbeing ( The “Pair of ACEs” ). An essential element of the successes of BCR’s five test sites around the country has been strategic collaborations. In your work to build resilience, identifying...
I have always been the prepared one — maybe even too prepared . The girl who analyzed project and assignment rubrics extensively to make sure the submitted work was perfection. The girl who had normalized excessive anxiety and stress for far too long. It sent me into a major depression , stripped me of my personality and my happiness. It made me ill. Nothing had prepared me for an illness which made me convinced suicide was the answer. Four years ago, I thought I would be graduating this...
Mindfulness training may be one way to help students successfully transition to college life, according to Penn State researchers. To help ease this transition, researchers offered an eight-session mindfulness training program to first-year students at Penn State, according to Kamila Dvorakova, a doctoral Compassion and Caring fellow in the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center and lead author of the study. In mindfulness meditation, practitioners learn how to develop an accepting,...
Save the Date: Tuesday, July 11 4CA Policymaker Education Day on Childhood Adversity, Sacramento The California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) invites you to Sacramento for Policymaker Education Day. Our lawmakers need to hear from you about how adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma affect your community and what they can do to help. Join with allies from across California to engage your elected officials on this important issue. Who: 4CA Policymaker Education Day...
After identifying a statewide need for support services for foster youth, the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) was created in 2006 through a collaboration between the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), the Foundation for California Community Colleges and numerous partners and stakeholders. According to Jessica Smith, the statewide liaison for FYSI, the “network of support” provided by FYSI includes assistance with academic needs, financial aid, physical and...
My psychologist (I’ll refer to him as Dr. F for this post) is amazing. He has helped me tremendously over the last six months. I’m quite sure I wouldn’t be here anymore if it wasn’t for him. A month ago, he asked me if I would like to speak to the psychology class he teaches at a local college. At first, I wasn’t sure. My anxiety is horrible and even the thought of speaking in front of people terrifies me. The idea I would be talking to people about my depression and mental disorders made me...
M ental illness in college can be a silent battle. Mental illness in college is channeling my intense emotions into each new experience. I can inspire people with my passion. It’s making connections with the best friends I’ve ever had. It’s having a roommate who researches my illnesses when I’m in the hospital. Or the friend who gets me out of bed to go for a walk with her when it’s pretty outside. The friend who comes to be with me when I say I’m fine, because she knows I’m not OK. 1 And...
The second Big Data Hackathon for San Diego organized at San Diego State University provided the platform and resources needed for students and collaborators from varied disciplines to come together and develop projects that will benefit the San Diego community. On February 18, 25 and 26, collaborators from SDSU, University of California San Diego, Texas A&M University, Oregon State University and local high schools joined together to help develop solutions for local public health issues...
The higher education research group Wisconsin Hope Lab defines food insecurity as “the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.” According to a new study they published in March, two in three community college students they surveyed are food insecure — an increase of 50 percent from their 2015 report. And students are not just lacking in food; many don’t even have a kitchen. The same group confirmed the findings of two studies that estimated an average of...
The Civil Discourse Society meets every Tuesday evening at 7p.m. Started last year by a few undergraduates at Central Michigan University who just wanted a place on campus for open, respectful conversations about politics, the club feels more relevant than ever. And each week, a few more students trickle through the door. “We need to make it more of a point to get people to talk,” said Jackie Smith, the organization’s president. Students at the college, which is located in the center of the...
San Diego State University’s LGBTQIA OUTreach organization on campus hosted a Workplace Inclusivity Workshop on Friday, February 10th, 2017 in Conrad Prebys Student Union theater from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. The audience was warmly welcomed by OUTreach ’s Co-Vice-Presidents Amber McKinney and Sam Put, before the LGBTQIA organization’s Co-Advisors, Silvia Barragan and David Engstrom were honored and appreciated for supporting the imperative event on campus. Sergeant Daniel Meyer , San Diego Police...
It's been one year since the premiere of RESILIENCE at Sundance, and since then we've screened at festival around the world and in hundreds of communities across the nation. RESILIENCE dives into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the birth of a new movement to treat and prevent Toxic Stress. Now understood to be one of the leading causes of everything from heart disease and cancer to substance abuse and depression, extremely stressful experiences in childhood can alter...
Hi all- With the beautiful new changes to our site, please take a moment to review the updated "How-Tos" below . If you can't find what you need or are having issues with the site please let me know. ( Gail ) JOIN How-To: Join ACEs Connection How-To: Join ACEs Connection Groups INVITE How-To: Invite Others to Join ACEs Connection How-To: Invite Others to Join an ACEs Connection Group SIGN IN & UPDATE PROFILE How-To: Sign In to ACEs Connection How-To: Update Your...
This post has links to a quick welcome tour through ACEsConnection, a link to a How-To Directory where you can find easy steps to post a blog and many other cools things, a link to FAQs about ACEs Science 101, and an overview of the ACEs Connection Network, which includes ACEsConnection.com and our sister news site for the general public, ACEsTooHigh.com.