Free Resource Including Age Appropriate Tips for Talking with Children about Crisis Situations Available at www.FamiliesAndWork.org

3/18/2003

From: Erin Brownfield of the Families and Work Institute, 212-465-8421; E-mail: ebrownfield@familiesandwork.org

NEW YORK, March 18 -- The Salute to Educators Guide: Coping and Contributing in Times of Crisis, Tragedy and Trauma contains age-appropriate tips for communicating with children about crisis situations such as war and terrorism, and advice for helping kids cope and contribute.

It is a free, downloadable online resource from Families and Work Institute (FWI) that contains tips for talking to kids of all ages, from infants to teenagers, as well as symptoms of trauma parents and educators should be on the lookout for. It has been widely used by educators and parents across the nation for responding to the aftermath of 9/11, the sniper shootings, the Columbia crash, and now the impending war. Members of the media who want to offer this as a free resource can find the Guide at http://www.familiesandwork.org

The Salute to Educators Guide builds on the recent Youth and Violence study conducted by Families and Work Institute under the direction of FWI's President, Ellen Galinsky. This study provides insight into how a nationally representative group of young people in the fifth through the twelfth grades feels about violence and conflict. It delineates the ways that support from parents, teachers, and friends can help children cope. For more information about children's feelings about conflict and violence, please see Youth and Violence: Students Speak Out for a More Civil Society at http://www.familiesandwork.org.

Families and Work Institute is a non-profit center for research that provides data to inform decision-making on the changing workforce, changing family and changing community. Founded in 1989, FWI is known for ahead of the curve, non-partisan research into emerging work-life issues; for solutions-oriented studies addressing topics of vital importance to all sectors of society; and for fostering connections among workplaces, families, and communities.