By Melody Mann, CEI Intern The global pandemic has triggered racial backlash in the Asian American community. Historically categorized as the Model Minority, a term that is used to dismiss the racism experienced by this group, Asian Americans are living in fear. Over 65% Chinese American children/adolescents and over 78% of parents are reporting worries about being profiled for the false assumptions many Americans hold as they blame China for the cause of this pandemic (Wakab

By Arnav Durani and Michelle Hull, CEI interns Although the opioid epidemic is often understood through the eyes of those battling opioid use disorder, families cannot be forgotten when considering the devastating impact of drug misuse. Children growing up in homes affected by opioid misuse shoulder profound and heartbreaking burdens, which can include legal, social, economic, and emotional traumas. COVID-19 has only intensified this crisis. When asked about the impact of the

By Kelsey Remeis, CEI Intern In a time of uncertainty caused by the recent pandemic of COVID-19, thousands have been affected in many different ways. The virus continues to have different outcomes on individuals both mentally and physically. Researchers have begun to ask if all the symptoms and side effects have been explored. In a recent study by Guo et al. (2020), the effects of mental health in association with COVID-19 is looked at in adolescents from rural China, before

By Hailey Jordan, CEI Intern The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) was developed in 1990 to keep track of health behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth in the United States (YRBSS, 2019). The YRBSS is a useful resource for evaluating trends in health behavior over time and comparing data among subpopulations of youth. The YRBSS includes six main categories of risky health behaviors: Unintentional inj

By Hailey Jordan, CEI Intern As the global pandemic continues, some school districts in the U.S. reopened for in-person instruction while others transitioned to a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. In some areas, schools are providing only remote instruction due to rising COVID-19 infection and death rates (Education Week, 2020). According to the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), counties with predominantly Black residents are experiencing infection rate

By Zenisha Shah, CEI Writer and Counselor at Innisfree House School Living in a world changing at unimaginable speed and filled with uncertainty can be exhausting and challenging. We are facing uncertain challenges of a global pandemic, climate change, and violence, that touches people of all ages, genders, races, and nationalities. Words are not enough to describe this shared experience of intense emotions. A language as universal as music and compassion is needed to express

By Christine Mason, PhD, CEI Executive Director Our HeartMind e-News connects the relationship of heart centered learning and mindfulness to current research and circumstances. Our goal is to provide our readers with concrete opportunities to further implementation of heart centered practices in their schools and districts. These opportunities will include suggestions for reflection, journaling, dialoguing, and compassionate classroom activities. We begin by examining the r