Today, Secretary Paige announced that aid is available to
school districts affected by the September 11 terrorist
attacks. He also announced "Helping Children Understand the
Terrorist Attacks," a new webpage that suggests ways adults
can talk with children about the attacks. The webpage also
offers suggestions for educators, as well as links to
additional resources that may be helpful to parents, teachers,
& other adults who work with children.
Below is the text of the press release & the webpage. The
webpage is available at
http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/index.html
===================================================================
"Education Department Announces Aid Available to School Districts
Impacted by Terrorist Attacks -- Education Web site also to feature
suggestions for parents & educators trying to help their children
understand the terrorist attacks" (September 14, 2001)
===================================================================
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced that the U.S.
Department of Education would be making a series of grants totaling
in the millions of dollars to the school districts directly
impacted by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center & the
Pentagon. Paige also announced that the department would provide
information resources to parents & teachers to help children
dealing with the effects of the attacks, but who were not directly
impacted.
Paige announced that the department has contacted the chief state
school officers, as well as local school authorities, in
Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia & Washington,
D.C., to offer them assistance with counseling & support services
for their schoolchildren & faculty. In the coming days, the
department will announce a series of grants to school districts in
these states that were directly impacted by the terrorist attacks
for assistance with grief & trauma counseling & other services,
including a major grant to New York City Board of Education
schools.
"It will take some time for the school districts that have suffered
directly as a result of these acts of terror to determine the
nature & extent of their need for our assistance," Paige said.
"They each have our assurance that Project SERV grants will be
available to them when they determine their needs & priorities.
The U.S. Department of Education will be there to assist our
schools in meeting the needs of their students & faculty & the
communities they serve."
Each of the grants will come from the department's Project SERV.
Created with a $10 million appropriation from Congress in 2000,
Project SERV is intended to provide assistance such as counseling
services to local school districts that have experienced a
traumatic event. The funds are available to meet the immediate
needs of the students in these school districts as well as their
longer-term crisis response needs.
Paige also announced that the department's Web site will feature
suggestions for adults with children & for educators in order to
offer help to the children who may be struggling with the terrorist
attacks & the images & stories of terror & destruction that they
have been exposed to in recent days.
"As adults, we must offer them our undivided attention &
unequivocal support," Paige said. "All adults should be concerned
about how well the children in their lives understand what has
taken place. Families & teachers alike should know that they play
a central role in helping children to understand what has taken
place, to separate fact from fiction & to establish a sense of
safety. There are simple things adults can do -- but the most
important is to listen to & talk to the children in their lives.
They also need to watch for signs of unusual behavior & take steps
to limit exposure to television & Internet imagery."
These & other suggestions are listed on the Department of
Education's Web site at http://www.ed.gov. The department will
also continue building links to other Web resources for parents &
educators.
===================================================
"Helping Children Understand the Terrorist Attacks"
U.S. Department of Education
(September 14, 2001)
===================================================
==> Information on how to help children understand the terrorist
attacks:
* Suggestions for Adults: Talking & Thinking with Children
About the Terrorist Attacks
http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/adults.html
* Suggestions for Educators: Meeting the Needs of Students
http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/educators.html
==> Where you can find additional information & resources:
* American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org/
* Emergency Services & Disaster Relief Branch, Center for
Mental Health
http://www.mentalhealth.org/cmhs/emergencyservices/
* Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
http://www.fema.gov/
* FEMA for Kids
http://www.fema.gov/kids/
* Helping Children & Adolescents Cope with Violence &
Disasters
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/violence.cfm
* National Association of School Psychologists
http://www.nasponline.org
* National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.org/what_is_new.html
* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Trauma, Disasters,
& Violence
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdmenu.cfm
* U.S. Government Information & Resources in Response to
September 11th Events
http://www.firstgov.gov/featured/usgresponse.html
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Kirk Winters & Peter Kickbush
U.S. Department of Education
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