Dear Morningside Center friends,

In this issue, we share an activity to mark Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, plus tips on how to help your students navigate the end of the school year. Also: an upcoming opportunity for CBO & Youth Development staff, and a new Morningside job opening!

And in case you missed it: The Courage & Resilience in Climate Education Conference is July 12-14! Join leading climate justice educators and students as we wrestle with best practices to educate for climate justice. (Flyer here.) All who attend will receive a copy of Tom Roderick's new book Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education.

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month Through Song

One of the most powerful ways to connect to others’ lived experiences is through music. In this lesson for grades 7-12, students will listen and respond to the songs of three musical artists that identify as AAPI

SEL Tip: Managing Worries about Transition

For many students, the close of the school year comes with anxiety about the transitions ahead. Try these strategies to help you and your students address those anxieties in a positive way.

See more activities & tips to end the year

Attention NYC After-School/Summer Rising Staff!

Join us for a free gathering to network and map out our SEL plans! Sign up today.

Job Opening: Human Resources Director

Morningside is looking for an experienced human resources administrator to join our friendly and collaborative team! We're looking for applicants with a strong track record in managing payroll processes, benefits administration, and other HR functions. See the full job description and application instructions.

What We're Reading

Restorative justice funding could be cut by more than half as fiscal cliff nears

"'Kids need more support than ever, but in terms of the funding, the support is less stable than it ought to be,' said Tala Manassah, deputy executive director of the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, which partners with hundreds of city schools on restorative justice and social-emotional programs." By Alex Zimmerman at Chalkbeat

Vague school rules at the root of millions of student suspensions

Public school students miss hundreds of thousands of days of school every year because of suspensions for "misbehavior that doesn’t seriously hurt anyone or threaten school safety," a Hechinger investigation found. By Sarah Butrymowicz, Fazil Khan, and Meredith Kolodner at the Hechinger Report

Why Kids Should Nature Journal at All Grade Levels

A 2023 review makes a strong case that hands-on observation of natural phenomena has both academic and psychological benefits. By Youki Terada at Edutopia

“Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways, it can change someone else’s life forever.” –  Margaret Cho