By Devan Gagliardo – Program Director, Community Foundation of Grundy County
Aug. 13, 2013
The Community Foundation of Grundy County partners and collaborates with numerous other organizations around various topics. One of the networks we participate in is the Grundy Partnership for Children (GPC).
GPC is made up of organizations that provide services to families and children. Over the last year, GPC members have been very busy getting important information out to families, as well as local professionals.
From late 2012 to the present time, GPC has been distributing Born Learning Material to promote healthy child development. In March, GPC partnered with Representative Pam Roth to co-sponsor the Summer Activity Expo. This event connected families to summer activities available to children throughout Grundy County. Most recently, we took part in the Grundy County Back to School Fair expo.
Many of the organizations who sit at the GPC table serve other counties, including Will Kankakee, DuPage, and La Salle. Because of this, GPC members have a wealth of information about programs in other counties. A handful of our partners had the opportunity to assist in the planning of a youth forum in Will County earlier in the year.
Youth forums have been offered in many counties, but not Grundy. Therefore, GPC decided to bring one to Grundy County.
The purpose of the youth forum is to bring organizations who serve children of all ages together for a day of education and networking. This year’s youth forum will focus on the topic of Childhood Trauma. We have four great speakers who will each discuss a different aspect of trauma.
Our keynote speaker, Anne Studzinski, is the managing director of the Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition, which is an organization made up of over 80 organizations promoting the prevention and treatment of childhood trauma. Anne will be speaking about the effects of trauma on brain development.
Anne brings over 25 years experience working in youth services and child welfare. She has developed and implemented state and federal programs and policies regarding the treatment of children and youth. Anne has also been an advocate in both Springfield and Washington for children and youth legislation.
Other speakers include André Bouey, Mary McCarty, and Erica Krahl.
André is the Catalyst coordinator at Plainfield South High School and holds a master’s in guidance counseling and counseling psychology. He has a special interest in at-risk youth development and peer/adult led mediation. André will discuss how trauma plays a role in creating conflict and tips on dealing with conflict in a healthy manner.
Mary is a mental health coordinator for Two Rivers Head Start. She holds a BS in education with a Learning Behavior Specialist endorsement. Mary brings over 21 years of experience in supporting children and families with their social/emotional development. Mary has a special interest in Pyramid Model and is a certified Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) observer.
She will be addressing challenging behaviors that occur in the classroom or during home visits. Mary will also explore adult responses to the behaviors that help children develop coping strategies for their strong emotions.
Erica Krahl is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and holds a master’s in psychology. Erica brings 17 years of counseling experience to the table. She owns and operates Lighthouse Counseling, P.C., in Coal City, where she provides individual, couple, family, and group counseling to children, adolescents, and adults.
Erica’s presentation will focus on identifying precursors to traumatization and exploring new strategies for combating the effects of trauma.
The Childhood Trauma youth forum will take place from 8:30 to 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20. Pre-registration is required by Aug. 26. There is a $20 registration fee, which includes lunch and Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
If you would like to register for the event or to obtain more information please contact me, Devan Gagliardo, at [email protected].
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