The SPAN Youth Hub

Self-care is about you. Our guests from the Leaders Empowered as Advocates with Dignity (LEAD) shared insightful tips on healthy eating, decreasing stress, and designing a self-care plan.  Meditation Start with a 5-minute meditation to unwind from a busy day and take control of the emotions and stresses in your life at this moment. Watch the video here: Self-Care Plan Mind, Body, and Spirit are three integral parts of well-being. Take initiative and account for what you are currently doing or could do to improve the health of yourself or your loved ones. Check out the template:  What is Stress? To tackle the stresses in our lives, we must understand what forms stress takes. Stress is present every day but  can be damaging if it becomes chronic, increasing the risk of diseases like depression, heart disease, and various other problems.  Whether it is fight or flight, reacting to stress is the first step in understanding your needs in a self-care plan. Read more here:   https://www.chang

Integrity is defined as being honest and having strong moral principles. So, integrity isn't for self-interest or gain. One of the greatest attributes is dependability, raising confidence, loyalty, and trust in those around you, your beliefs and values, and your community.  Integrity, Defined  Watch the McCombs School of Business' Integrity | Ethics Defined  for a breakdown of the concept of integrity: Personal Integrity Check out Fingerprint for Success, a blog on how to develop personal integrity in one's life.  The best way to understand personal integrity is to recognize that giving yourself grace for making mistakes is taking responsibility for the areas to improve.  Read more here :  https://www.fingerprintforsuccess.com/blog/personal-integrity . Cultivating Integrity  Self-awareness about this lifelong journey of integrity requires patience as you cultivate a life value. Following a path of good, they virtue can become leaders, advocates, and valued members of the lo

***Must be a current resident of Passaic County, NJ*** Institutional Review Board for  Human Subject Research  is a project that invites you to participate in a needs assessment and program evaluation of particular services provided by Passaic County Human Services. Participation in this research study is voluntary.  If you agree to be in this study, you will be asked to complete an online survey with approximately 35 multiple-choice questions. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. You will be able to skip any question that makes you feel uncomfortable.  Find more information here:  https://wpunj.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3DvBI0ot1NfFXp4 You may contact the primary investigator, Dr. Michael Gordon, at gordonm10@wpunj.edu . If you have any other concerns about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Institutional Review Board at WPUNJ by phone at 973-720-2852. 

RECOVER is a research project that aims to learn about the long-term health effects of COVID. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) has been awarded a $30 million+ grant from the NIH to help lead a study on the long-term and delayed impacts of COVID-19 in children and young adults. This study is designed to answer these questions: -How many children get Long COVID? -Why do some children get Long COVID and others do not? -What symptoms do children feel when they get Long COVID? -How long do children feel sick when they get Long COVID? -What causes Long COVID to happen in children? -How does having Long COVID affect children's physical and mental health and development as they grow? Eligible subjects include infants, children, adolescents, and young adults through 25 years of age. Infection with COVID is not necessary to participate. The study's first phase includes a home questionnaire and blood and saliva samples provided from the comfort of your h

The annual OSEP Leadership and Project Directors' Conference allows special educators, researchers, state administrators, parent centers, technical assistance centers, and US Department of Education staff to connect and share knowledge to better serve students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act.  The 2023 conference was hosted in person from July 24th to July 26th in Arlington, Virginia. Check out the 2023 conference playlist here:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOEcbgBUbdMeLAuFu-MTuMvIzFRAwx88N&si=t1z05_h9adJt3s_m 2023 Impact Panel and Tribute to Judy Heumann David Cantrell, Deputy Director, OSEP, introduced this panel of young adults and associated with the NE-PACT Region A Youth Leadership Council (YLC). Panelists included: Nathan Markley, Information Technology Specialist, RIPIN Emily Ball, Youth Educator, CPAC Dylan Campbell, Youth Coordinator, MPF Julio Vega, Lead Youth Mentor, HUNE. The panel was moderated by Johan Mora Valverde, SPAN Youth

Gratitude seems unnecessary in a modern world of instant gratification. The power of gratitude should not be understated because noticing  special moments like spending time with friends, watching the sunset, or enjoying a walk in the park.  Gratitude turns what little you have into abundance and changes your perspective in a world of challenges and needs.  What Is Gratitude?  Watch the Productivity Guy's  What Is Gratitude  to explore being aware of and thankful for the good things in your life and expressing appreciation for them through an animated video:   Practicing Being Grateful Gratitude is a social emotion or an attitude that strengthens relationships. When one helps or is thankful for another, they often repay the kindness. Having a grateful mind and developing a framework of positivity lets you see challenges as a gift or an opportunity to overcome adversity.  Advocacy is often centered on seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, even when you are inclined to not speak