It has been a difficult year in so many ways, but it became the backdrop for many important conversations about what is important in our lives.  In the middle of a Global Pandemic and renewed emphasis on the racial injustice inherent in our society, we are clear about what we are against.  But the real […]

“I want to shout it from the rooftops!” responded Pat Sauer.  Our three-year pilot of the Miss Kendra Program at Willow Lane Elementary School in White Bear Lake showed a 71% decrease in behavior-related visits to the principal’s office.  This reduction in serious behavior incidents is impressive and it will continue to decrease as the […]

We are heartbroken over the senseless death of Mr. George Floyd. Our sympathies go out to his family and friends at this blatant lack of concern and care for another human being from one of our police officers. Let this be the last tragedy of an unarmed black man. We grieve with the African American […]

How can we do this better for the well-being of children? There are no words for the sadness I feel for the child and the grandmother in this story. Notice the court and social service interventions started when the child was born, and he is almost 4 years old when the Appeals Court decision was […]

I can’t believe it is mid-August already! That means it is almost time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together and then everyone knows what comes next – Back to School! This seems like a good time to look at what we’ve learned from our school-based, toxic-stress-busting pilots of the ALIVE/Miss Kendra Program. We funded the Miss […]