LGBTQ+ Youth Opportunity — seeking youth 12-24 to join Youth Pride Event Planning Committee

Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth, Flagstaff Library, and One•n•ten encourage youth to support planning our Coconino Youth Pride virtual event scheduled for June 26th at 4 p.m. We are leaning on our community’s youth-serving organizations and programs to recruit and encourage youth to share their skills and leadership.

Participating youth will steer event planning through participation in five planning meetings May-July 2021. Whether they’re are skilled in graphics for flyers, recruiting other youth, community promotion, MCing, or moderating a chat…we need them!

Local Education Spotlight — Coconino High School Art Students Advance to Top 50 in Vans Custom Culture Competition. See more local education news here

Congratulations to Coconino High School (CHS) art students Lorelei Tessmer and Amber Kelly for advancing to the top 50 in this year’s Vans Custom Culture competition out of over 500 applicants.  

Voting is now open to the public at vans.com/customculture and individuals can cast one vote per day until Friday, May 7th, 2021. 

Connections Spotlight — KinderCamp™ Returns This Summer

On a recent Saturday morning, a group of about 20 educators from Flagstaff, Williams and Pinetop-Lakeside met in the gymnasium of Kinsey Elementary School for a special orientation and training session.

Typically, rising early to sacrifice your day off for mandatory training doesn’t generate a lot of enthusiasm, but in this case the excitement was palpable. Why?

Because KinderCamp™ is coming back.

“There was just a buzz in the room,” said Sara Owen, the coordinator for the program that helps preschoolers with the foundational, social and academic skills needed to successfully transition into kindergarten. “People are really looking forward to being part of this again – and having it in person.”

Time to register for Tuba City Child Abuse Prevention Council’s Virtual Fun Run!

We here at CPLC Parenting Arizona wanted to send you a quick reminder that we have one work week left of April, which means there are only a few days left to register for the Tuba City Child Abuse Prevention Council’s Virtual Fun Run! You don’t want to miss out on this event!

Please follow THIS LINK to register 

The running/walking is all done on your own time, and the first 20 people to register can receive a free t-shirt! Check out this super cool individual we happened to randomly catch wearing our beautiful design! 

CCC&Y — How do we prevent child abuse?

April is child abuse prevention month. Some may not realize that 24,093 child abuse reports were acted on in six months during 2020. (www.azcourts.gov/casa/Child-Welfare/Child-Welfare-Stats) . With such a large number, we may ask, “What can one person do?”

Here are a few suggestions:

Train your brain.
Take at least a few minutes each day to be aware of your thoughts’ pace, take note of your emotions, and give awareness to your sensations. Use this practice to increase your awareness. Addressing your needs comes later. Take regular mindfulness breaks to be and let thoughts float by like clouds. In our hurried society, pausing from “doing” may seem insignificant. However, over time you will reap the benefits and realize how impactful mindful breaks can be. Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth has a monthly mindfulness opportunity. Email virginia@coconinokids.org for more information or to be added to the mindfulness listserve.