By Christine Mason, CEI Executive Director Image from treehugger.com Did you know that: 20% of the population in Mississippi is “food insecure”? – the highest in the United States, followed by Arkansas (19%), Louisiana (18%), Alabama (19%), and Kentucky (17%) The poverty rate for children is 20% 19.4 million people in the US live in extreme poverty, which means that the annual income of a family of four, for example is $10,000 or less 1% of the children in the US “suffer from

CEI stands with this article’s message and calls for schools to develop strength-based policies because they are “the best way to build confidence and prepare the brain to learn.” You can read this article HERE.

CEI supports this call for inclusivity The School Superintendents Association (AASA) American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National School Boards Association (NSBA) National PTA They sent this call t

For the past three months CEI has been promoting a 21st Century program we developed to help 6th-8th grade students understand not only issues related to hunger, but also civic responsibility and the importance of philanthropy. We have awarded 10 stipends to teachers who agreed to implement the program and provide feedback to CEI. In 2017, CEI will award additional stipends to teachers who agree to provide feedback on how they used this program in their schools. The applicati

By Christine Mason Maslow argued that if individuals do not feel safe or secure, or if basic physiological needs are not met, that it will be hard for them to develop relationships, feel a sense of belonging, or develop a sense of self esteem. While he believed everyone was capable of achieving the higher levels of self-actualization, he realized that sometimes individuals experience setbacks such as trauma. In these cases, individuals may even move down the hierarchy — i.e.,