Center For Sustainable Change

CSC ENDED ITS NATIONAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCY PROJECT (NCRP) DURING ITS 2012-2013 FISCAL YEAR. AS OUR 2013-2014 FISCAL YEAR BEGAN WE STARTED BUILDING ON OUR EXPERIENCES AND ENGAGEMENT AT THOMASBORO ACADEMY (A PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOL IN CHARLOTTE, NC) THAT ENDED IN JUNE 2013. WE STARTED FOCUSING ON IMPACTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH THROUGH THE SCHOOLS THEY ATTEND IN OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DURING 2013-14: (1) WE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IN SAN RAFAEL, CA, TO CREATE A YEARLONG PROGRAM IN TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS; (2) WE WORKED WITH PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN HARTFORD, CT; (3) WE CONTRACTED WITH COMMONHEALTH ACTION TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM IN MISSISSIPPI FOR 25 PARENTS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SUNFLOWER COUNTY. IN JULY 2014 CSC WRAPPED UP ITS YEAR-LONG SERIES OF MONTHLY GROUNDING WEBINAR CALLS AND MONTHLY PRACTITIONER WEBINAR CALLS THAT WERE ATTENDED INTERNATIONALLY.THE SECOND ANNUAL TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY FROM THE INSIDE OUT INTERNATIONAL TELESUMMIT WAS HELD DECEMBER 1-5, 2014. THIS TELESUMMIT HAD THE FOLLOWING TOPIC AREAS: OVERVIEW + NEW FOCUS OF CSC, TRANSFORMING CAREGIVERS IN DISTRESS, COUNSELING YOUTH ON THOUGHTS OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE, SCHOOLPRESSURE OF PERFORMANCE WITH PEERS, BODY IMAGE/WHATS EXPECTED, SOCIAL WORK WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH, BULLYING IN SCHOOLS AND CYBERSPACE, COMING HOME TO PEACE VETERANS, CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS. THIS FREE, 10-SESSION, FIVE-DAY TELESUMMIT HAD OVER 800 REGISTRANTS. AUDIO RECORDINGS AND TRANSCRIPTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE AFTER THE EVENT FOR A SMALL FEE. CSC TRANSITIONED ITS COMING HOME TO PEACE INTO AN INITIAL PILOT PROGRAM CALLED THRIVING VS. SURVIVING A WEEK-LONG THREE PRINCIPLES INTERVENTION FOR MILITARY VETERANS THAT INCORPORATES GROUNDBREAKING EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM INVOLVED CSCS PARTNERING WITH SIENA HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY IN ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, AND WORKING WITH ITS INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD CONCERNING (1) HOW THE CENTER COULD PROPERLY DO RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS AND (2) THE WORDING OF THE MARKETING MATERIALS THAT WOULD BE USED BY THE CENTER IN RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS ONCE THE CENTER HAD OBTAINED IRB APPROVAL.AMI CHEN MILLS NAIM AND GABRIELA MALDONADO-MONTANO DEVELOPED FOR CSC A PLAN FOR A SIX-SESSION WEBINAR CALLED TAPPING THE PROMISE OF YOUTH IN DISTRESS HOPE FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS AND CAREGIVERS.CSC HOSTED IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, THIRTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LEADERS VISITING FROM PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, WITH FAME [FUND FOR ADVANCEMENT OF MINORITIES THROUGH EDUCATION]. WE HAD A VARIETY OF PRESENTERS SHARE WITH THESE STUDENTS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES THAT INCLUDED AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRINCIPLES OF RESILIENCE, WISDOM, AND PEACE OF MIND.CSC INITIATED NEGOTIATIONS WITH JUDY SEDGEMAN, ANNI POOLE, AND GABRIELA MALDONADO-MONTANO FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SERIES OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY CONTINUING AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TO BE OFFERED TO TEACHERS WORLDWIDE. PARENTS AND OTHERS INTERESTED IN EDUCATION ARE TO BE INCLUDED AS POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS IN THESE COURSES.CSCS WEBSITE FEATURES TALKS AND INTERVIEWS WITH CSC TRAINERS, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN AUDIO AND VIDEO FORMATS, FOCUSED ON SUCH SUBJECTS AS EDUCATION, BULLYING, PEACEFUL PARENTING, AND WORKING WITH YOUTH-AT-RISK. SOME OF THESE ARE VIDEOS AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE. CSC CONTINUES TO REACH A NATIONAL AND GLOBAL AUDIENCE WITH ITS FREE DISSEMINATION OF MULTI-MEDIA OFFERINGS VIA SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS. THE PURPOSE OF CSCS DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES IS TO PROVIDEFREE OF CHARGEA USEFUL RESOURCE TO INDIVIDUALS, AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CULTURES AND NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH A PRINCIPLES-BASED APPROACH.