April 19, 2023 | Issue 75 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

Children's Mental health Week 2023 Image

Children's Mental Health Week Is Coming

May 7-13

Children's Mental Health Week is supported by several organizations across the country, and PPAL, Parent/Professional Advocacy League, in Massachusetts does an especially good job of celebrating the week and supporting advocacy. Their theme this year is "Accept, Advocate, Act - Because Awareness is Not Enough!"

They have provided a Children's Mental Health Week Toolkit to help families, youth, professionals, educators and communities alike promote acceptance, advocate, and act for change.

To access the PPAL toolkit, click here.

Resources

State Expands Funding for Parents Inc Hotline

“More than ever, parents need to reach out for support. One of our mottos at Parents Inc. is that reaching out doesn’t mean you’re weak. It’s a sign of strength.”

-Kathleen Roe, Parents Anonymous of New Jersey, Inc, or Parents Inc.

Being a parent is hard, especially today with cell phones and social media having such a dramatic impact on children. Now, the state of New Jersey is infusing new funding into a hotline to help parents navigate challenging situations.

This new funding is allowing the organization to expand their Family Helpline (1-800-THE-KIDS) and help more families by instituting new texting capability.

The organization's hotline is staffed 24/7 and parents can call or text with questions or concerns on complicated topics. Roe says even parents who just need someone to talk to can call or text the hotline and be linked with a trained mediator.

“The line is for information and referral and if you just need to talk, which so many parents do,” Roe said. “Sometimes you’re so close to a situation and you’re so stressed out, you can’t even think straight.”

To learn more, click here.

Summer STEM Program Scholarship Available

for Teens

The Arman Roy Foundation is offering scholarships to a weeklong tech camp for students demonstrating financial need at Princeton University this Summer for youth ages 13-17. The scholarship will cover classes, room and board, and all meals.

The deadline to apply is this Friday, April 21, 2023.

Overnight Course Options provided by ID Tech at Princeton University Include:

VR Design with Unity and Meta Quest 2 - week of July 24th OR Aug 14th
Intro to Python Coding for Machine Learning - weeks of July 17th OR July 24th OR Aug 14th
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning - week of July 24th
Java Coding for Applications - weeks of July 17th OR July 31st OR Aug 14th
Java Coding for Game Development - weeks of July 17th OR July 31st OR Aug 14th
BattleBots Camp: Robotics Engineering with VEX - weeks of July 17th, OR July 24th OR July 31st OR Aug 14th
Advanced Minecraft Modding with Java - week of July 24th

To learn more and apply by this Friday, April 21, click here.

Upcoming Events

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them.

Highlighted Event This Week

Health Advocacy: Helping NJ Families Access Healthcare

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 1:00 PM

Many families have difficulty accessing health coverage and services for children with special health care needs.

This workshop will provide information about the various insurance models - who is eligible, what is covered and how to apply.

Information on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act will also be provided. Suggestions on what to do if you are having difficulty accessing health care services will be offered.

Presented by Nicole Pratt from SPAN.

To register, click here.