Parents & Caregivers

HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON’s Boniuk Center’s Latino Initiatives invites Latinx artists from the Houston area to participate in Withstand: Latinx Art During Times of Conflict.
This juried exhibition investigates the idea of resistance and its multiple ramifications in the visual arts, as well as the impact of political and/or social conflict on the creative process. The exhibition also explores themes of social justice and human rights in order to inspire conversations sparked by the artwork of Houston Latinx artists. Withstand is meant to be a platform that examines issues that impact the community, fosters dialogue on difficult questions, and ultimately empowers social change through art. Artists must select works that reflect these themes literally or metaphorically.
The show will be on view in conjunction with the inaugural Silverman Latin American Institute fellowship scheduled for Summer 2021. Latinx artists are invited to join the conversation on art as a catalyst of change, and stand together with educators and those interested in advocacy to learn about social justice, human rights, and the Holocaust.
Holocaust Museum Houston builds a more humane society by promoting responsible individual behavior, cultivating civility and pursuing social justice.
Social and Emotional Learning Resources
Promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) has become a major focus in schools and youth-serving organizations, as research continues to document the value and importance of such training for both academic and life success. The Resource Finder provides a variety of resources to help you learn about SEL, apply teaching methodologies and assess your efforts.
Learn: Schools have primarily focused on academic learning, but over the past few decades, a growing body of research has shown how efforts to foster social and emotional learning (SEL) in children and youth can make a real difference in children’s lives, both academically and socially, and both now and in the long term. LEARN about what SEL is, why it is important, and the evidence that supports the promotion of social and emotional competence in children and youth.
Apply: How do you foster SEL in children and youth? In this section of the site, we provide links to a broad range of programs, curricula, lesson plans, activities, books, videos and other resources for promoting social and emotional competencies in children and youth.
Assess: How do you evaluate the success of your efforts to foster SEL? In this section of the site, we focus on the importance of “evidence-based practices”, which involves utilizing programs, lessons and activities that have been shown to be effective as well as evaluating the effectiveness of your own efforts.
By learning about mental health and well-being and supporting children who experience mental health difficulties, adults will be better able to create contexts and classrooms in which children feel safe seeking help when needed and in which biases and stigmas are reduced, enhancing children’s feelings of acceptance, belonging and well-being.
Learn: Many mental health disorders first emerge in childhood and adolescence, with an estimated 15-20% of North American children and youth experiencing significant mental health problems. In order to support these students, it is important for adults to foster mental well-being and mental health literacy in their classrooms and schools. This section provides resources for promoting mental health literacy, including learning about mental well-being as well as the mental health disorders that some children and youth faced.
Support: Teachers and adults who work with children and youth play a key role in supporting students who experience mental health difficulties. In this section, find out how you can SUPPORT children and youth by promoting mental well-being in the classroom, reducing the stigma associated with mental health difficulties, increasing students’ willingness to ask for help when needed, and providing accommodations and a context in which troubled youth can achieve optimally.
The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a terrible toll on the health and well-being of youth and young adults. Already alarming rates of depression, suicide, and anxiety are exacerbated by the isolation, contact restrictions, and economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. Black, Indigenous, and other youth of color (BIYOC); youth involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems; and other traditionally underserved youth already are impacted at levels worse than their white or non-system involved peers, further hindering their ability to survive and thrive during the pandemic. As traditionally underserved youth navigate the pandemic, all systems need to develop and implement innovative strategies to address their existing and emerging health and mental health needs.
Addressing Mental Health Disparities During the Pandemic

Before COVID-19, the American Psychological Association estimated that 15 million youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Over 80 percent of youth in need of mental health services do not receive services in their communities, with BIYOC and LGTBQ youth the most likely groups not to receive needed care. School-based health centers in urban areas were 21 times more likely to provide mental health services than community-based providers. With schools closed, youth who receive their mental health services in their schools now need to find alternatives to care.
School-based mental health providers such as school counselors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists remain the first point of contact for students who are depressed, isolated, anxious, and now those traumatized by the pandemic. The American School Counselor Association and the National Association of School Psychologists developed a school reentry guide advising their members to develop cross-system plans that engage school and community resources. A key recommendation is to map available resources and needs to address short- and long-term needs, including repositioning staff to where they are needed most. School leaders are also learning how to leverage technology to meet the social, emotional, and mental health needs of middle and high school students.

Establishing partnerships with community-based mental health providers is a strategy already increasingly used to meet the mental health needs of BIYOC students. In Washington, DC, the Achievement Preparatory Academy is partnering with the AprilMay Company, Inc., a local behavioral health organization, to provide social-emotional and mental health services to their students. Teachers and counselors recognized the pandemic added multiple stressors to families already struggling to meet basic needs. To help students and families cope, they expanded access to mental health services, from the individual and small group services offered prior to the crisis, to any student, teacher, or family member using telemedicine resources.
Schools are also leveraging resources from organizations like The Trevor Project to supplement the services they provide for at-risk students. In the second annual National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2020, The Trevor Project reports almost 70 percent of LGBTQ youth have experienced anxiety in the past two weeks, and nearly half report they wanted but were not able to access mental health services in the past year. To address these and other needs, The Trevor Project offers a wide range of services, including the TrevorLifeline for crisis counseling, TrevorChat and TrevorText which provide access to counselors, and TrevorSpace, whichis an online international peer-to-peer community for LGBTQ young people and their friends.
The Steve Fund provides support for college-age BIYOC students through its crisis text line. They, along with their partner The Jed Foundation, assist higher education institutions in developing an Equity in Mental Health Framework composed of actionable strategies they can implement to bridge mental health disparities facing students of color. The framework was developed in response to data they collected that revealed that college students of color were almost twice as likely not to seek help when they feel depressed or anxious compared to white students. They also found that only 28 percent of students of color found their campuses inclusive, compared to 45 percent of their white peers. As a result, nearly half reported feeling isolated on campus. These data reveal that attention to the mental health needs of students of color persists into the higher education learning experience.

System-Involved Youth at High Risk for COVID-19
For the roughly 48,000 youth held in juvenile detention facilities across the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic is also proving especially concerning. Black and Indigenous youth are overrepresented in juvenile facilities, with Black boys and Black and Indigenous girls, extremely overrepresented relative to their share of the total youth population. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, and youth currently or previously involved with the foster care system are also overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. Even before the pandemic, youth detention facilities failed to adequately address the health and mental health needs of BIYOC and LGBTQ youth. These uniquely vulnerable youth often come to juvenile facilities with a host of pre-existing needs such as physical or sexual abuse, accidents, serious illness, and violence. These traumatic events often lead to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, most facilities are ill-equipped to address their needs with only 53 of 3,500 juvenile justice residential facilities in the United States having received accreditation for the health care they provide. Coincidentally, calls to end the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion would require standards to ensure quality health care services in juvenile and adult detention facilities.
While many youth have been released or diverted from detention as a result of the pandemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) joins juvenile justice reform advocates in the call for incarcerated youth to receive “…special consideration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Specifically, the Academy is asking that state agencies craft pandemic plans that release youth from custody who can be safely cared for in their communities. Before they are released, a comprehensive transition plan should be developed to include screening for health and mental health needs and restoring health benefits lost during incarceration. Community-based organizations providing youth reentry services should receive additional funding to provide virtual and in-person services, with appropriate safety precautions. For the youth who remain incarcerated, every effort should be made to ensure their safety, including improved hygiene practices, social distancing that is not solitary confinement, coronavirus testing, and a continuation of any health and mental health services they were receiving before the pandemic.

Resources for Policymakers and Practitioners
The undeniable disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and other youth of color (BIYOC); youth involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems; and other traditionally underserved youth requires a targeted response. Federal, state, and local governments must enact policies and implement evidence-based programs that protect and support vulnerable youth during and after the immediate pandemic crisis. AYPF has created a COVID-19 Information Hub that provides useful resources for youth most at risk. We will continue to update this information hub and invite your active participation in planned learning events as we explore strategies from the AYPF peer network.
- Week 1: Justice-Involved Youth
- Week 2: English Language Learners (ELL)
- Week 3: Youth in Foster Care
- Week 4: Rural Populations
- Week 5: First-Generation College Students
- Week 6: Youth with (Dis)abilities
- Week 7: Resources for Parents
- Week 8: Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- Week 9: Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
- Week 10: Resources related to Reopening of Schools
Harris County Youth Collective is growing our team of Youth and Community Specialists (YCS). YCS are part-time staff with lived experience in youth serving systems. These positions work both on staff and in the community to ensure that people most affected by the systems are included in the work toward improving services and outcomes for youth who are or have been dual status, or involved in the juvenile justice and child protective systems.
Please read the full YCS description, expectations, qualifications, and benefits in the attached PDF. Please find the application here: Harris County Youth Collective – Youth and Community Specialist Application
Youth-led Creative Expression Contest to Prevent COVID-19 across Texas!
Request for Applications (RFA)
We are inviting young people from across Texas to submit creative materials (videos, digital art, murals) to promote behaviors that can prevent the spread of COVID-19. Materials will be used by schools, health departments, and other community groups to promote COVID-19 protective behaviors. This contest is being hosted by the COVID-19 Communications Team within the Health Promotion/Behavioral Sciences Department at UTHealth School of Public Health in partnership with community organizations across Texas.
GUIDELINES:
- Submissions must be created by student(s) and supported by an identified parent, adult mentor, or sponsor. Parent/Guardian permission and signature are required with submission.
- K through 12 students, student clubs, after-school programs, youth nonprofit organizations, school wellness teams, and other youth-based groups are encouraged to apply.
- Creative expression content can be in English or Spanish and may include translation into other languages.
- Submissions can be either as an individual or as a group of youth. If completed as a group, we need permission forms from all youth involved with the submission.
- Creative expression content needs to be authentic and original, or it will be excluded from the competition. We will review for authentication and use of other’s materials or ideas.
- Creative expression content should link directly to any of the four main COVID-19 prevention behaviors (mask wearing, handwashing, social distancing, not touching your face). However, simple, direct, and brief content/message (e.g., short videos) is encouraged
- Multiple submission are allowed!
APPLICATION PROCESS & KEY DATES:
- Campaign Launch: Request for Applications (RFAs) will be sent on Friday, July 17th, 2020.
- Application Format: Applicants must submit the application from at https://sph.uth.edu/landing/covid-youth/.
- Due Date: Creative Expression Submissions are due Sunday, August 30, 2020.
- Awards: 1st – $300 Wal-mart e-gift card; 2nd – $100 Wal-Mart e-gift card; Honorable recognition – Submissions will be posted on UTSPH Facebook page.
- Notification of Awards: Participants will be notified of awards by September 30, 2020.
- If you have any questions, contact Jacob Szeszulski at [email protected] (preferred) or call 1-713-500-9679.
The Houston Area Urban League is one of many national affiliates advocating for equitable education via a National Urban League project. This year HAUL will be more intentional with efforts. You have been extended an invitation to participate in Listening Sessions to address COVID 19 educational needs because of your service to and for children/youth. The Listening Sessions will focus on how your practice has been impacted, what you have experienced, and what must be done to address COVID-19 related education needs.
As we are gearing local efforts, you may be contacted to aid in local efforts. For now, you are welcome to participate in the listening sessions hosted by the National Urban League. When registering, please indicate “Houston Area Urban League” or “Houston” as affiliated organization. Please see registration below or attached flyer with QR code.
Please join us for one of our upcoming Listening Sessions. Registration is quick and easy, click here

COVID-19 and Domestic Violence Resource (English):
Recurso para el COVID-19 y la Violencia Doméstica (Español):
Institute of Engagement Launches Shift Press Fellowship Application
All Greater Houston area high school-aged residents are invited to apply
On Wednesday, July, 22 2020, The Institute of Engagement launched applications for the Shift Press Fellowship, an online, 10-week paid fellowship for eight Greater Houston-area youth to develop journalistic and critical thinking skills.
The organization is looking for young people who are passionate about this city and are looking to grow. In addition to attending weekly e-workshops, fellows will produce at least five written pieces. These pieces may come in the form of reporting, op-eds, and investigative journalism as well as more personal writing.
Jalesha Bass, graduate of Yates High School and a current student at the University of Texas at Austin, says “This fellowship gives young people a great opportunity to tell their stories, gain knowledge about topics of their interest, and learn how stories impact all community action.”
“This fellowship values the crucial perspectives of young people and gives them agency in defining the narratives of their generation,” says Amy Fan, graduate of Bellaire High School and Duke University.
Young people can best shape their communities when they define themselves by the stories they tell, as opposed to the ones adults force on them.
“Engaging the dreams and concerns of Houston’s young people is the key to a bright future. I’m excited to see this work expand the fellows’ collective range of imagination,” says Uyiosa Elegon, a graduate of DeBakey High School and the University of Houston.
Fellows will receive a $1000 stipend for the 10 week fellowship. The team will also equip fellows with resources, such as reliable WiFi, if needed.
High school-aged individuals in the Greater Houston area are encouraged to apply for the 2018-19 fellowship at www.shift.press/apply by midnight on July 29, 2020.
BACKGROUND:
The Institute of Engagement is a collective that helps young people take responsible ownership of their Houston.
The team’s past work includes the year-long 2018-19 Civic Fellowship. Thirteen students from seven high schools and four different school districts in the Greater Houston area deepened their knowledge of issue areas that they each identified as important. The fellows gained different civic skills like root cause analysis, house meeting, op-ed writing. Throughout the fellowship, the fellows facilitated house meetings with community members and grew to be a strong cohort.
For more information, visit www.shift.press/fellowship.
Like them on Facebook: www.fb.me/shiftpresshtx
The Power 2020 Experience with Y Teen L.I.F.E (Leadership. Inspiration. Fellowship. Education.)
August 4 – 27
Tuesdays – Thursdays 9am to 4pm
Programming will take place at the Houston Texans YMCA, 5202 Griggs Rd.
Open to Teens 12-15 years old | Spots Limited | No cost to participants
- Engage in Self Development and Empowerment Sessions
- Strengthen your learning potential while connecting with Y Teen L.I.F.E
- Participants that complete the 3-week cohort program will receive a reward to support virtual learning
Link to Register: https://bit.ly/3fTbHUZ

We are committed to keeping our participants and staff safe and healthy and the following procedures will be in place for this in-person program:
- Restricted access to childcare/camp spaces to only staff and participants
- Small group sizes with a 1:9 ratio with a significantly reduced capacity for the entire camp program
- Separate rooms for each group of young people with the same staff each day
- Multiple temperature checks and health screening each day
- Social distancing throughout the entire program
- Scheduled handwashing and access to hand sanitizer
- Staff and teens will wear face masks
- Increased cleaning and disinfecting processes throughout the day
Greetings,
Sharing an awesome opportunity for high school teens that are ready to make lasting change!
We have a great line-up of facilitators that will be engaging participants around mobilizing, organizing and enacting change. We also have governmental advocacy and local/state leaders joining us for a special conversation on civic engagement/advocacy.
At the end of the week, youth will be able to share their plans of action around social justice. Our goal is that any young person who is sitting at home right now wanting to be a part of the change, “leaves” the week knowing that their voice matters, that they have the ability to enact change and that there are organizations ready for their leadership.
Changemakers Virtual Experience: This virtual event is designed for young people to connect and collaborate around issues that matter to them. Changemakers provides a space for youth leaders to create plans and put them into action through grassroots organizing; topics of equity, social justice, advocacy, and inclusion are all included in the Changemakers experience.This is a virtual experience that can change the world!
July 28 – 31, 2-3:30pm each day
Link to register: https://ymcahouston.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkcuCqqT0qHNC3ywmBzFuyPNgH2YNBGpPR

Browse Resources
Resources for Parents & Caregivers
- Open Call for Houston Latinx Artists
- The University of British Columbia – Social & Emotional Learning Resource Finder
- American Youth Policy Forum – How COVID-19 Affects Mental Health Disparities for Vulnerable Youth
- Harris County Youth Collective – Youth and Community Specialist Application
- UTHealth – Youth-led Creative Expression Contest to Prevent COVID-19 Across Texas
- Houston Area Urban League (HAUL) – Listening Sessions to Address COVID-19 Educational Needs
- Houston Coalition Against Hate – COVID-19 and Domestic Violence Resources
- Institute of Engagement – Shift Press Fellowship Application
- Houston Texans YMCA – Power 2020 Camp for Teens
- YMCA Houston – Social Justice Opportunity for High School Teens