Mississippi School of the Arts held its second-ever Grief Retreat on April 9th, 2022, directed by school counselor and certified psychologist, Harlie Blauw. MSA is a designated “Grief-Sensitive School” by New York Life.
Schools confront issues of grief and loss every day: 1 in 14 US children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. Studies show that unresolved grief can have a social and emotional impact on children, leading to behavioral issues and poor performance in school. Yet educators often feel under-prepared to lend support to their students, with the vast majority of teachers reporting they have not received any bereavement training.
New York Life’s Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative is a national program created to address the gap in grief support in school communities by providing free and accessible resources to better equip educators and other school personnel to support grieving students.
Watch a presentation of the 2022 event: