Supporting Students Coping with Grief and Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As educators prepare to resume classes and programs, student mental health is an incredibly important concern. In a survey of First Book educators, 91% of respondents said they were “very or extremely” concerned about the mental/social-emotional health of children and families they serve – especially as schools and programs prepare to resume this fall.

In the same survey, 71% of educators responding said they don’t think they will have the resources needed to support their students’ mental health.

To support educators,First Bookand theNew York Life Foundationhosted a free live webcast and Q&A onSupporting Students Coping with Grief and Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The webcast featured expert Dr. David Schonfeld, a leading developmental-behavioral pediatrician and founder of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

During the webinar, Dr. Schonfeld shared that it is important to understand that children who have experienced loss may not outwardly appear to be grieving.  He talked through tangible ways to support grieving children, including:

• •how to initiate conversations with grieving students,
• •what not to say, and
• •considerations related to grief across different cultures.

You can watch the full webinar onFirst Book’s YouTube channel here. In addition, educators can downloadfree resource guidesonUsing Books To Support Students Through Grief, Loss And Healing:  available inEnglishand