Curricum Training
Thank you to all the presenters who attended a Refresher Training to be able to implement the Updated Edition of Stand Strong • Stay Safe Early Childhood!
New training sessions have just been announced. If you are a trained presenter of Stand Strong • Stay Safe - Early Childhood, don't miss this opportunity to update your training and receive a new set of puppets at no cost, thanks to the generous funders of this project.
Know and Avoid Unsafe Situations
Be Assertive and Take Action to Stay Safe
Tell a Grown-Up You Trust (and Keep Telling)
It is Never Your Fault if Someone Hurts You
The updated program features brand new puppets, more effective methodologies and adaptations for younger children, and posters to reinforce learning. The program has been extensively reviewed to ensure that it is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive.
If you are interested in refresher training or have never been trained in our programs and would like to be, please reach out by email to Gretchen Lash.
New Grant-Funded Opportunities Available
ChildBuilders is thrilled to announce that we are grateful recipients of a 2023 grant from the Powell Foundation. Through this partnership, we will continue to create communities where all children can grow into adults who can cope with adversity, strengthen their communities, and nurture the next generation to do the same. Specifically, this grant will allow us to expand our initiatives in high-risk communities by enhancing our collaborations with Harris County ISD's, continuing to update and improve our programs to ensure cultural and trauma sensitivity, and increasing adult engagement through workshops and webinars.
Educators and administrators in the following school districts are invited to introduce ChildBuilders' programs into their communities at no cost to their schools:
- Aldine ISD
- Alief ISD
- Galena Park ISD
- Spring ISD
Grant-funded activities include curriculum training in any of our resilience-building programs; support and coaching during implementation; professional development workshops/webinars for teachers and other school personnel on topics such as trauma, children's mental health, and classroom management; and workshops/webinars designed for parents on topics such as positive discipline, mindfulness and self-care, and recognizing and responding to signs of mental health concerns in a child.
Review ChildBuilders' Professional Development Catalog for program details and contact us today to bring ChildBuilders to your school!
Spotlight: Fort Bend ISD
During the 2022-2023 school year, counselors in Fort Bend ISD taught Stand Strong • Stay Safe to 3,448 children in the following Elementary schools:
- Brazos Bend
- Colony Bend
- Highlands
- Mission West
- Oakland
- Ridgemont
- Settler's Way
- Townewest
This month, we wish to share our gratitude for the counselors and school professionals in Fort Bend ISD, with whom ChildBuilders has formed an impactful partnership over the past several years.
As we highlighted in our discussion last month, the previous school year saw the introduction of new laws outlining opt-in requirements for child abuse prevention programs in Texas schools. Embracing these regulations, Fort Bend ISD took proactive steps to ensure compliance, although it necessitated temporarily pausing programming in some schools. While this adjustment posed challenges for many counselors who had intricate guidance and counseling schedules to manage, the dedication of our educators prevailed.
I deserve respect (and so do others).
I have the right to be safe (and I can recognize unsafe situations).
I have the power to choose (and will respond assertively).
I will get help (if a problem is too big).
The current school year has sparked tremendous enthusiasm among Fort Bend ISD counselors and district-level supporters. These dedicated professionals were quick to identify specific aspects of Stand Strong • Stay Safe – Early Childhood that needed review, and their valuable input has led to an updated and enhanced program launching this Fall. Their eagerness to receive training and a new set of puppets demonstrates their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our children.
Under the outstanding leadership of Rachel McCune and others, all elementary-level counselors in the district, which serves over 82,000 children, are undergoing comprehensive training in all levels of Stand Strong • Stay Safe. This substantial commitment reflects the district’s dedication to the cause.
Moreover, several counselors have taken the initiative to introduce ChildBuilders’ professional development workshops to their teachers. Our latest workshop, “Cultivating Healthy Classrooms with Empathy and Connection,” equips teachers with simple yet effective tools to address classroom management challenges by fostering a sense of community and enhancing the classroom environment. Thanks to the generous support from The George Foundation, any Fort Bend ISD school can book this workshop at no cost. Additionally, the workshop is available online for the Greater Houston Community.
Upcoming Educator Webinars
Navigating Rough Waters: Understanding Children's Mental Health
Upcoming Parenting webinars
Share these upcoming webinars with your families – presented live on Zoom. Select presentations are available with Spanish Interpretation.
Using Empathy in Discipline
When Life Gets Hard: Parenting Through Trauma
