Category: Awareness Building

5 Meaningful Ways to Support Youth This School Year

young people commuting

August 2021 marks the return to school for the majority of students across the U.S. For most school districts, this means in-person learning, and for some, this will be their first offline learning experience in 18 months. The progress in protections from COVID-19 through vaccines, social distancing measures, and other safety protocols has recently been …

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The Pandemic Created a Perfect Storm for Washington’s Most Rural Counties

The Coronavirus crisis has sharpened existing disparities along lines of race, class, industry, geography, and so much more. At the onset of the pandemic, much was made of the widespread trend of people – especially the most wealthy and mobile Americans – looking to “flee” cities in favor of less dense and consequently more rural …

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School Meal Delivery During COVID-19

School closures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic presented school districts with a unique dilemma: how to get school meals to children when they can’t physically attend school. According to the USDA, schools were responsible for feeding over 29 million students each day before the pandemic, and studies have shown that many children receive …

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School Lunch in an Online World

thank you food services sign

In the U.S. education system, education and child nutrition are closely tied. Many families and students depend on school meals to not go hungry and help meet nutritional needs. Especially in areas of high poverty with high proportions of students of color, school meals help to address inequity in food security. With the onset of the pandemic, …

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What does food mean to you?

girls planting tomatos

Food, and the consumption of it, bridges the divide between the “biological” and “cultural” spheres of human behavior. While food consumption is necessary for survival, the preparation and selection of certain ingredients are heavily influenced by culture and social upbringing. Past these collective meanings of food, we also have individual psychological memories associated with food—both …

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The Disparities and Inequalities of COVID-19: How coronavirus has impacted the BIPOC community

The narrative that the coronavirus does not discriminate based on race, gender, or class is a false concept that needs to be addressed. While in theory, yes, the coronavirus does not discriminate, our systems do. A year into the pandemic, the coronavirus has deepened the consequences of pre-existing inequalities that are placed on BIPOC (Black, …

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Amplifying Youth Voices: WA COVID Response Corps Addresses Food Insecurity

Pictures of AmeriCorps members helping in their communities

In October 2020, The SISGI Group had the opportunity to partner with The Shultz Family Foundation to support 125 AmeriCorps members who opted to serve in the Washington COVID Response Corps. During an uncertain time in our world, young people in Washington state stepped up in a big way to serve their communities and individuals experiencing …

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Supporting Youth Mental Health: The Do’s & Don’ts

picture of adult showing emotional support to teenager

May is National Mental Health Month. This month is set aside to help raise awareness regarding mental health concerns. As we approach the halfway mark of 2021, the world is continuing its efforts to recover from the enormously stressful, bleak, and traumatizing impacts of 2020. People are coping with the continued threat of COVID-19 and …

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5 Revolutionary Women of Color Who Made Herstory

Women's History Month Banner

History is a male-dominated subject where women’s successes and victories are constantly overshadowed, especially those of women of color. Consider taking some time this month to pay respects to all women before us and now who play a vital role in the advancement of women’s leadership in society in honor of Women’s History Month. As we …

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Equity in Education: COVID’s Impact on Youth Education Part II

student doing work on a laptop computer

COVID-19 has shattered any global sense of stability. It has impacted social interactions, entertainment, travel, business, food service, and education for everyone. As individuals and communities continue to work towards building a new sense of normalcy, education continues to struggle. Teachers are experiencing intense levels of stress and burnout as they attempt to teach virtually, …

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