By Antionette Meeks of Cairn Guidance, a Dove Self-Esteem Project Partner I have often sung the only line I know from the song, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy”. It was written in 1935. I can’t say I was around for it or even know the history of it, other than it was part of a renown, for its era, stage play and has been sung by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, and Billie Stewart – at least, that’s what I read. More importantly, that George Gershwin melody Read ▸ about Summertime and the Living is Easy
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Acceptance; A Simple Word with Lots of Meaning
By Antionette Meeks of Cairn Guidance, a Dove Self-Esteem Project Partner Acceptance is a simple and powerful ten letter word. Acceptance opens the door for each student to be themselves and experience all that their classroom and school offer them. As educators, we do not fully know the life stories of our charges, neither do they know ours. Sometimes, a school is the only safe space, and the smiling face of the educator is the one thing they need to get their school day started on a Read ▸ about Acceptance; A Simple Word with Lots of Meaning
Systems Thinking Simulations: An opportunity to rethink mental models and construct vision for us all.
By Sterling Ta’Bon, Healthy Schools Manager for Cairn Guidance In April, I had the opportunity to spend a week indulging and diving into all things system thinking. These training sessions take diverse and complex situations and wrap them into live board game scenarios. My recent experience with these simulations has started to redefine what it means to relearn systems, habits, and skills for the betterment of our missions. Systems Thinking; Systems Changing™ (STSC) and Friday Night at Read ▸ about Systems Thinking Simulations: An opportunity to rethink mental models and construct vision for us all.
A new Skills-Based Health Ed Product… Skills On a Ring™!
By Jess Lawrence, Director of Cairn Guidance About ten years ago, I came up with the idea to create cards that students use in health class engaging them using the health skills in variety of ways. Initially, my idea came to me when I was thinking how to create and active student audience when they observe a role play of other students. My idea was that students hold up the card when they see or hear a communication technique. I thought it might look something like: “I feel angry Read ▸ about A new Skills-Based Health Ed Product… Skills On a Ring™!
Brittany Echols, Health Education Curriculum Manager
Greetings and salutations! I’m Brittany Echols and I’m waving to you all from Waldorf, Maryland! Umm let’s see, where do I start…well I’m the newly hired Health Education Curriculum Manager and while I’ve always loved health education, I didn’t have a linear path into the profession. As a military child, I spent most of my formative years growing up outside of the Nation’s Capital. From the time I was in middle school I told myself, I would never go into the family business—education, Read ▸ about Brittany Echols, Health Education Curriculum Manager
Sterling Ta’Bon, Healthy Schools Manager
My name is Sterling Ta’Bon, and I am the Healthy Schools Manager at Cairn Guidance. I live in Sumter, South Carolina. As a student, I was interested in how building relationships lead to more perspective and outcomes. While growing up in this small military town, I was given opportunities to experiment with the ideas of community cohesiveness and the promotion of self-efficacy. As a son of a public-school principal and grandson of a faith leader, I saw how all sectors of our community should be Read ▸ about Sterling Ta’Bon, Healthy Schools Manager
CDC Healthy Schools Funding Opportunity
During my time at the Oregon Department of Education during the years of 2003-2006, I was funded by and became very acquainted with the amazing support and funding opportunities that both the Division of Adolescent and School Health and the Healthy Schools Branch at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer and provide partnership to the school health community. I know as a potential grantee, thoughts of writing a 5-year application can feel enormous and overwhelming, Read ▸ about CDC Healthy Schools Funding Opportunity
Health Education Curriculum Reviews
During the winter and spring of 2022, the Cairn Guidance team reviewed multiple textbooks, curricula, and resources for the Bend-La Pine School District in Deschutes County Oregon. In June, 2022, our team facilitated an in-person, two-day Skills-Based Health Education Standards and Assessment training with health educators in the district, followed by a third day creating a K-12 health education scope and sequence (based on CDCs HECAT), followed by a fourth day of reviewing curricula Read ▸ about Health Education Curriculum Reviews