Talawanda receives $500 grants from grief resources program
Talawanda High School received the latest grant on May 19, and the elementary and middle schools were granted theirs before Covid-19
The Talawanda School District recently received five $500 grants from the New York Life Foundation for participating in its Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative (GSSI) program, which provides educational resources to help school staff support students dealing with grief.
GSSI provides schools with grief resources, such as grievingstudents.org, and aims to prepare teachers, parents and students to support students grieving the loss of a parent or family member, divorce and other issues.
A study published in 2012 by the American Federation of Teachers and the New York Life Foundation found that 92% of educators — including teachers, teachers' assistants, counselors and staff — say childhood grief is a serious issue that needs more attention, but only 7% have ever received bereavement training.
Each of Talawanda’s five schools received a grant. Michael A. Rudolph, a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies LLC and agent of New York Life Insurance Company, presented the fifth grant to Talawanda High School on May 19, after Covid-19 delayed the process. GSSI started presentations with the elementary schools and worked its way up.
Rudolph said it's heartwarming to be able to provide this grant because he graduated from Talawanda and remembers friends who experienced a loss while in school.
“I did have a number of friends that lost a parent, and I saw how absolutely difficult it was for them,” Rudolph said.
GSSI offers presentations for staff on bereavement resources, which are led by New York Life ambassadors. Schools that commit to becoming a Grief-Sensitive School — an accredited K-12 public or private institution that commits to providing a supportive environment for students who have experienced a form of grief — are eligible to receive a $500 grant to help provide grief support and resources.
Committing to being a Grief-Sensitive School means the school pledges to create a supportive environment for those grieving by increasing awareness of the issue of grief at school, sharing information with the community about grievingstudents.org, reviewing relevant school policies and procedures and providing learning opportunities.
More than 7,000 schools and youth-serving organizations currently participate in GSSI, according to New York Life’s website. The New York Life Foundation has invested nearly $60 million in bereavement organizations.
Anyone with questions about GSSI can contact nylfoundation@newyorklife.com.
