WiRSA Update - October 8, 2024

U.S. Department of Education News / Dept. of Labor

SHARE | Resources for Communities Following Natural Disasters

The Department has curated resources, including those developed by other federal agencies and organizations, for restoring the teaching and learning environment at Natural Disaster Resources | U.S. Department of Education. You can also find examples of helpful resources in this blog post. 

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Blending & Braiding: How to Make it Easier to Use Different Funding Streams to Meet the Needs of the Whole Child - Register & Share

I am excited to invite you to the kickoff of a webinar series titled Blending and Braiding: How to Make it Easier to Use Different Funding Streams to Meet the Needs of the Whole Child. The series is co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and the White House to increase awareness and understanding of how essential services from federal, state, and local governments can be accessed more easily by students and families. Please register here: Blending and Braiding Webinar Series (zoomgov.com). The first webinar of the series will be held on Thursday, October 3 from 1-2 pm ET.

• We’ve heard from education and community leaders across the United States the need for more support and examples of how to blend and braid multiple funding streams to meet the needs of the whole child. This webinar series will highlight examples of how states, districts, counties, cities and schools are blending and braiding funds to provide cradle-to-career supports—making it easier for students and families to access services and help communities thrive. In addition, speakers will describe how to use federal, state, and local funds to sustain whole child investments (e.g., mental health professionals, counselors, tutoring, mentoring, and after-school, summer learning and enrichment programs) that were bolstered by the American Rescue Plan Act. 

We’re looking forward to seeing you during these webinars to engage with experts, identify promising approaches, and surface best practices on how to more easily use federal funds to strengthen communities for our students and families, from cradle to career.

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Attendance Champions Challenge - REGISTER & SHARE

The Department invites you to a special briefing on Wednesday, October 9th from 1-1:30 pm ET, to learn more about the Attendance Champions Challenge, and what you can do to amplify the voices of young people in district and school efforts to improve attendance and engagement.  

• On September 3, 2024, the Department of Education (the Department) launched the Attendance Champions Challenge to encourage, and offer resources to, districts and schools that engage students in their efforts to increase attendance and engagement. Student voice is key to addressing chronic absenteeism head-on. While many schools have successfully used evidence-based strategies to increase attendance, data indicate that a large percentage of schools continue to experience high rates of chronic absenteeism. Rural, suburban, and urban school communities continue to struggle with increasing attendance and engagement post-pandemic. The Department is calling on, districts and schools to seek students’ insights on why they are missing school as there is a broad range of underlying root causes – from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, to a lack of access to safe and reliable transportation. Exploring the reason(s) why a student is missing school can help determine the appropriate intervention(s) for that student, while examining insights from a diverse representation of the student body can illuminate challenging trends that require a systemic response.  

Join this briefing to learn more about how your district, school, or community organization can participate! Details on how to join the virtual briefing are provided below.  

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Time: 1 – 1:30 pm ET

ZoomGov Meeting Link: 
https://ed-gov.zoomgov.com/j/1603435433?pwd=tXyMPLtZ4vurFhrE9uhx8mUrW9EFev.1 

Meeting ID: 160 343 5433 
Passcode: 084020  

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New Emergency Planning Course for Rural Schools - Register & Share

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, is pleased to offer the course “Planning Considerations for K-12 Rural Schools,” which will provide strategies that enhance emergency management planning for rural schools. Available as virtual or live trainings, the REMS TA Center will provide—free of charge— training materials, as well as one or more live subject matter expert trainers and staff support for the event hosted at your site or online.  

• Please plan to complete and submit the Training by Request Application at least 45 days prior to the requested training date. REMS TA Center staff will confirm the receipt of your application. A REMS TA Center team member will contact you to discuss your training needs and to answer any questions you may have. Training dates will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.