You probably noticed that this week's issue of The Bridge came to your inbox on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday. We made this change to accommodate some updates coming to the newsletter soon, so you will be receiving it on Wednesday mornings from now on. Thanks for reading!

May 3 2022 Issue 2 (View newsletter as webpage)

Important News

Decorative photo of prison inmate reading a book.

Expansion of Second Chance Pell Grants for Incarcerated Individuals

"Access to high-quality postsecondary education is essential to incarcerated individuals, but for far too long, people in prison were left out."

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona

Providing education in prison is proven to reduce recidivism rates and lead to higher employment rates. Second Chance Pell Grants support incarcerated people to participate in postsecondary education programs. This third round of Second Chance Pell Grants is being offered to 73 new sites with a plan for broad implementation in July 2023.

The Department is also making changes to policies to help incarcerated individuals with defaulted student loans so that they are eligible for Second Chance Pell Grants.

Read the Press Release Here

Second Chance Month Proclamation.

Resources

Learning to Listen Webinar

learning to listen, conversations for change graphic

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

3:00 PM EST

Learning to Listen: Conversations for Change is a series of conversations featuring community leaders who are working to address issues for children and families. Each conversation includes live Spanish translation and closed captioning. This week's conversation focuses on Sesame Workshop's support for refugee children.

On any given day, there are more than 80 million refugees around the world, nearly half of whom are children. Join a conversation about how Sesame Workshop will support children, families, and providers as they arrive and resettle in the US. They will discuss creating resilience-building resources and celebrating the unique strengths of different communities.

Learn more about the Brazelton Touchpoints Center here

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 2 - 6, 2022

We are saying 'thank you' this week, and throughout the year, to the extraordinary educators who have worked tirelessly with students and families to keep things moving forward, despite such an unpredictable year.

Teachers from across the country share what they most needed and what would make them feel most appreciated—especially after two extremely difficult years for the profession, and the world.

View the video "What Teachers Really Want for Teacher Appreciation Week"

Upcoming Events

See what's happening

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them. Check out our Event Calendar here for details and registration links

Upcoming Events include: