First Amendment Schools staff expresses heartfelt condolences to residents of the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita. We encourage our schools, teachers, and students to donate time, money, or resources to the organizations of their choice to help the victims left in the hurricane's devastating aftermath. A list of many organizations is listed on the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov.

Many schools are seeking ways for their students to respond to victims of Katrina & Rita.  While local agencies may provide the best guidance for fund raising and donation drives, we encourage schools to consider longer term initiatives including service learning projects.  The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse has a particularly valuable section of “resources and tools to help students and teachers develop a service-learning or community service project to assist with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.”  Be sure to check our Weblinks page for other organizations committed to helping young people make a difference in their communities.

Other schools are facing the challenges of integrating young victims of Hurricane Katrina into their student bodies.  Among the physical and mental health needs for these new students is likely to be an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and disconnect from community resources.  It will be critical that schools identify strategies to engage these new students immediately into the community of the school, make them feel welcome, and give them a sense that they belong and have a voice.  The National Association of School Psychologists site has a number of excellent resources for schools and parents. 

ASCD is also participating in the relief effort; visit Katrina's Aftermath: A Call to Action, A Call to Serve, to read their response and find out how ASCD members can help. Also visit ASCD's Helping Children: Resources for Schools, Teachers and Parents Coping with the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Again, remember to check our Resources page for tools to address issues of diversity, engage student voices in decision making and planning, and translate civic learning into civic engagement.

Read our response from the FAS Newsletter.

Last updated: Monday, September 6, 2010 | 12:23:04