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Get plugged into the latest Be Strong Families news, initiatives, and blog articles — all central to creating transformative conversations that nurture the spirit of family, promote well-being and prevent violence.
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Illinois Youth In Care: Youth Advisory Affinity Groups
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has created Youth Advisory Affinity Groups (YAAG) for members and allies of the African American, Asian American, Latino, Native American, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Transitions at Be Strong Families
Welcome our new staff, Jamika and Justin, with us and say good-bye to Founding Partner and COO, Guy Schingoethe.
3rd Annual Show Your Love Campaign
It’s our 3rd Annual Show Your Love Campaign. Join us in sharing our webinars with the world and keeping theming free through 2023.
Minnesota-based Author Launches Kickstarter to Help Us Save the World
A book on sustainability - for you!
The Statewide Youth Advisory Board's Draft Proclamation was Signed by the Governor
The month of October was exciting for the teens on the Statewide Youth Advisory Board (SYAB) as their hard work came to fruition when the Governor of the State of Illinois signed a Proclamation declaring that October 2022 is Foster Youth Voice Month. Join us as we celebrate these teens who not only fought for themselves to be heard, but the other 20,000+ youth in care.
LGBTQIA+ Initiative Progress Update
We made promises as part of our annual Show Your Love for Families fundraising campaign last December and we are working hard to fulfill them. Consistent with our commitment to racial equity and EDI and in response to requests from partners for resources to assist in meeting the needs of LGBTQIA+ BIPOC families, we said we would partner with people with lived experiences and experts in LGBTQIA+ organizations to expand our products and services. There are three main areas we’ve been working on…
Reflections on the Building a Parent Nation IEL Panel
Over 3500 people gathered together during the Institute for Educational Leadership Conference in early June for the National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference (CSxFE). Educators and family supporters met from around the country and across the pond in Los Angeles to discuss the development and sustainability of community schools, supporting parents, and students alike. One of the breakout sessions was a featured panel on Parent Nation…
Good Community News!
Board Member Sandy Baba shares Office of Head Start webinar titles “Supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Families: The Head Start Program Perspective” by Dr. Jerry Yang at Kai Ming Head Start Program
Family Tree
Our Family Tree is our way of asking you to join us in our continued investment in youth and families by making a monthly contribution. When we fortify our roots, we can feel confident in the stretch for new ideas to disrupt and co-create, measure and learn, expand and thrive, and communicate and model as lined out in our strategic plan.
What to Do about the Anxiety of Now?
I have been really disturbed by recent events to the point of hopeless confusion verging on paralysis. I rarely go on social media and my news-following is seriously limited, but still, stuff creeps in. The consensus, no matter which side of political and ethical issues you’re on, seems to be that the forces of evil are winning. So what to do when the darkness seems to be consistently overwhelming the light? Remember Einstein saying: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” We need to transcend.
In recent years, about one-in-two adults in America reported experiencing loneliness. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic cut off so many of us from friends, loved ones, and support systems, exacerbating loneliness and isolation.