Funding will train educators to support students in underserved New Jersey communities
Morristown, New Jersey—Good Grief announced today it has received a one-time $25,000 grant from the Deloitte Foundation to provide educators in Newark and Camden schools with training focused on helping students develop skills and build resilience to overcome loss and adversity.
The training is part of Good Grief Schools, a comprehensive school-based social and emotional learning program that supports entire school communities – students, educators, counselors, and parents. Good Grief Schools fills a critical gap in school curriculums by providing educators with concrete tools and strategies to engage students and create a more supportive and empathic culture in response to loss and adversity.
The Deloitte Foundation grant specifically addresses the challenges that the COVID-19 crisis has placed on underserved communities, primarily communities of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. In a statement, the foundation noted that “given the extraordinary disruption to education, coupled with school budget cuts, underserved youth in vulnerable communities may be struggling to continue their educational journeys due to a myriad of challenges they may face in these turbulent times.”
“We are grateful to the Deloitte Foundation for this generous grant to support our Good Grief Schools program in these communities,” said Good Grief CEO Joe Primo. “From our experience, we know children facing loss and adversity have difficulty accessing resources and developing the skills they need to build resilience. Our school-based program equips teachers and counsellors with the tools and training they need to work directly with their students in the school environment.”
Good Grief Schools is working with a growing list of partners across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and beyond. The program currently has more than 120 school partnerships in place and has trained more than 1,300 educators. In addition, Good Grief has responded to the significant demand for grief and childhood bereavement training by offering a series of virtual workshops on topics ranging from understanding grief and loss to youth suicide prevention and intervention. More than 1,200 educators have participated in these programs to date.
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Good Grief is a respected national leader in delivering grief and resilience building programs and services to children, families, and schools. It is the leading provider of these services in New Jersey serving more than 160 communities across the state. A registered 501(c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization, Good Grief’s mission is to build resilience in children, strengthen families, and empower communities to grow from loss and adversity. For more information, please visit our web site www.good-grief.org
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the next generation of diverse business leaders, and their influencers, and promote excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services benefitting high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and educators. Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation.
Good Grief Contact:
Jesse Bassett, M. Div
Director of Education
[email protected]
(609) 498-6674 x8013