Parenting with Vision - Understanding and Supporting Grief with Youth, Families, and Communities

Park Nicollet Foundation Growing Through Grief, Brighter Days Family Grief Center, and New York Life Foundation will be providing content designed to educate and support wayzataschools families with supporting youth in the presence of increased death related grief in our communities. The content will include wayzataschools School District’s investment in the Grief Sensitive School Initiative, how grief looks developmentally, and ways to support our students in schools, families, and community. Along with educational content, there will be online, in-school, and community-based resources provided for families to explore, share, and use when grief impacts their family, school, and/or community.

Brighter Days Family Grief Center is a nonprofit organization serving the state of Minnesota since its founding in 2017. Brighter Days focuses on bringing families back together after the death or terminal diagnosis of a loved one by addressing the many psychosocial and logistical needs of each family member. Trusted by Minnesota hospitals, hospices, schools, and community partners, Brighter Days provides free and comprehensive programming for children, young adults, adults, and families.

During their school years, more than 77,000 children and teens in Minnesota will experience the death of a parent or sibling. Grief is difficult to understand at any age. As a young person navigating the challenges of school and peer relationships, having a loved one die can make those routine challenges completely overwhelming. Growing Through Grief offers in-school support to elementary, middle and high school students coping with the death of a loved one. Because of the generous donors in our community, programming is provided to students at no charge. Grief services are available in 16 school districts in MN and WI. Grief doesn’t have to be isolating. Growing Through Grief gives children and teens a safe space where they can share their feelings, get expert counseling and realize they’re not alone.

**Programming is supported by the PTAs and PTOs, developed by the District Liaison Committee and wayzataschools Community Ed, and is free of charge.**