“There is no power greater for change than a community discovering what it cares about.”
~Margaret Wheatley
Responsiveness can take many different forms. With Operation Metro Surge, community stepped up. Neighbors organized. Educators prepared. Families protected one another. While the surge is said to be over, ICE agents remain in Minnesota, and thousands of agents across the country continue separating families and causing harm.
Now we are living in the aftermath. We’re beginning to see the domino effects: housing instability, PTSD, prolonged family separation, and the quiet, daily toll on children’s sense of safety. What does responsiveness look like when the crisis shifts from immediate visibility to long-term impact?
In this month’s newsletter, we explore responsiveness from different angles: identity affirmation, developmentally appropriate processing tools, and the many roles we play in social change.
How are you continuing to show up beyond the immediate moment of community protection? Let us know here. ❤️
When the outside world sends hateful messages about who you are, stories can be life-giving. That’s why AmazeWorks is distributing 600 Belonging Book Bags to families in Minneapolis who are (or were) sheltering in place due to ICE presence. These bags are small but powerful tools for healing, connection, and affirmation.
What’s in a Belonging Book Bag?
One school recently shared, “Seeing the joy and connection these books brought to our community was heartwarming.”
We have 600 requests to fulfill, and we need your help! Bring joy and connection to more Minneapolis families with your donation.
Sharing positive reflections of all families is one way AmazeWorks is responding to the harms caused by ICE. When the world feels unsafe, stories help children remember who they are and that they belong.
A special thank you to our partners who made Belonging Book Bags possible through their donations:
Children notice what’s happening around them. That’s especially prevalent during a crisis like the ICE occupation disrupting routines and inspiring widespread community action. It’s vital that we invite kids into honest conversations so they’re not left on their own to fill the gaps. Persona Dolls are a powerful tool to help kids process current events at a level they’ll understand.
Persona Dolls are classroom companions that foster empathy and understanding by sharing stories and asking for advice. They create a safe outlet for children to explore difficult topics, modeling vulnerability, courage, and care.
The dolls are handsewn by our artisan Jennifer Goggleye who shares, “Each doll has its own spirit, vision, and wisdom that can help that one student be brave enough and beautiful in their own mind and heart.” Persona Dolls prepare children to stand up for themselves and each other, empowering them to grow into empathetic, connected, and confident members of their communities.
Here are 4 ways to learn more about the power of Persona Dolls for social-emotional learning:
It’s not too late to start brave conversations. Persona Dolls offer opportunities to go deeper while centering care for the children in your life.
As we process the harms caused by ICE, many of us have navigated overwhelm and hopelessness. It’s hard to accept that we can’t do it all, but we have persisted and stepped up for our community in various ways.
We all play different parts in creating a world with belonging at the center. Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Ecosystem Framework names ten different roles for driving change, affirming the myriad ways people show up for each other. Here’s how some of those roles are living in our community response:
At AmazeWorks, we focus on the following:
We cannot underestimate our power. These social change roles help us acknowledge the work we do. We thank our caregivers, who are so often overlooked and under-appreciated but foundational to justice. We thank our educators, who carry far more than what’s written in a job description. We thank those putting their bodies on the line. We thank those making difficult, necessary decisions to prioritize their own safety when they would rather be on the front lines.
AmazeWorks sees you. We are endlessly grateful to be part of a courageous community creating a world of belonging for all.
AmazeWorks is excited to announce that we have officially become a partner in the movement to Elevate Teaching!
Elevate Teaching is a movement that seeks to activate a network of champions for the teaching profession and shift how we view, talk about, and relate to the profession to reflect the profound impact teachers have in our society. Elevate Teaching is part of the solution to attract more people to the profession, especially from communities of color and American Indian communities. Elevate Teaching envisions a teaching profession that is highly regarded and prestigious in our society, starting in Minnesota. As partners, AmazeWorks will leverage our resources, experience, and relationships with educators to champion teaching as a profession that is creative, legacy, teamwork, community building, opportunity, and evolving.
Learn more about Elevate Teaching at their website: https://www.elevateteaching.us/
Please join us for the next Action Network for Elevate Teaching (ANET) VIRTUAL meeting on Tuesday, March 10 from 4:00-5:15 pm. The convening is a community space to learn, share, and spark actions. Everyone is welcome, even if you haven’t joined previous events. Please help us spread the word about this convening by sharing this invitation!
Cheryl and Wade Hudson, editors of the anthology We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, will join award-winning authors and illustrators, PEN America, Red Balloon Bookshop, and more orgs to uplift messages of hope, resilience, and activism to young people in Minneapolis and across the country. AmazeWorks is proud to support this event! Click here to register and join us on March 10 at 10am.
Join AmazeWorks and Mississippi Creative Arts School for a dual book launch to celebrate Kao Kalia Yang’s two newest picture books: The Blue House I Loved and A Home on the Page. In both stories, Hmong refugee families share how they make a home in Minnesota. This event will feature a student performance you don’t want to miss! Click here to RSVP.
We’re highlighting Counselor HQ, an online resource hub created by a licensed counselor and former school counselor to support school counselors and mental health professionals. It offers ready-to-use lesson plans, printable activities, practical tools, and modern strategies to reduce overwhelm, strengthen student support, and help counselors feel confident and effective in their work. Visit
counselorhq.net to learn more.