“Isn’t this the purpose of education, to learn the nature of your own gifts and how to use them for good in the world?”
~Robin Wall Kimmerer,
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
As the new school year begins, we hope your summer was filled with rest, joy, and rejuvenation. In this newsletter, you’ll find back-to-school resources designed for educators and caregivers, no matter how ready you feel for the year ahead. Discover events, articles, and activities that will enhance your teaching and parenting practices—without adding stress to your already-full plate. We’re here to help you start the school year feeling appreciated, valued, and excited! 🍎 ❤️
Join AmazeWorks on October 5th as we celebrate the inspiring story of Maurice Stokes—a tale of talent, resilience, and the power of community. Local authors Ty Chapman and John Coy bring this remarkable legacy to life, helping children of all identities and abilities feel seen and valued. 📚🏀
In 1995, a Half Price Books bedtime story contest caught Timi’s eye. She regularly enlisted the Sandman in her daughter’s bedtime routine to lull her to sleep. She set her story to rhyme and with nervous excitement submitted her manuscript, In Search of the Sandman, to the contest. Much to her delight, Timi’s book was selected as a semifinalist.
The book quickly became a beloved part of her community. “When people asked for another book, I took them seriously,” Timi shares. She started a new project, this time with a defined purpose – to help Black and Brown children see themselves reflected positively in a story.
Emotional dysregulation can hinder students’ ability to engage in learning. Sojourner Truth Academy implemented a tool to support students with identifying and tending to their emotional needs. They’re called Zen Zones.
A Zen Zone is an organized, intentional break space to help students recognize and manage their emotional needs. The aim is to develop self-regulation skills, helping students identify their needs and articulate the “why” behind them. Typically located in a quiet corner of the classroom, Zen Zones offer students access to brain-activating or calming tools, such as puzzles or weighted sensory items.
This school year, consider implementing Zen Zones in your classroom to help keep your students in a learning headspace.
AmazeWorks is excited to welcome Desi Kobayashi to our staff as Facilitator and Curriculum Writer! Desi served as an AmazeWorks Facilitator/Trainer for a year before joining our team full-time in June. Throughout Desi’s 14 years of teaching in Chicago Public Schools, she realized that student sense of belonging varied greatly from classroom to classroom. Just because students felt belonging in her class didn’t mean they experienced the same in others. This inspired her to become an instructional coach for educators, challenging teaching norms and creating classroom cultures of belonging for all.
To Desi, belonging is about being in community with others while also showing up as her full, authentic self.
AmazeWorks has loved expanding our work with Desi. We can’t wait for the new and continued contributions she will bring to our team!
We want to expand the AmazeWorks board! AmazeWorks is looking for advocates who bring voice to the importance of creating safe and welcoming environments for all. Click here to read a job description sharing how our Board brings belonging to life.
Do you have other people in your life committed to social and racial justice? Share this with your network!