The past couple years have had an unprecedented impact upon children's mental health.  Factors that promote strong social and emotional functioning for children, such as play with peers, social interactions in school, connections with friends and teachers, daily routines, and close relationships with extended family members were all cast aside for many months in the national effort to control the coronavirus pandemic.  In addition, new stressors, such as elevated levels of bias-related bullying and fighting, have presented a more difficult world for many children to navigate. Research at MARC, as well as in other universities, has found large and significant increases in anxiety and depression among children.  While it is probable that many children will adjust well, some children will bring these challenges to school with them as we return to a post-pandemic life, and the purpose of this training is to help give educators practical and concrete tools they can use to help children re-adjust to school, camp, and other traditional settings. 

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Research conducted here at MARC, as well as other research on the pandemic and previous studies examining children's needs in the wake of natural disasters, will be applied to help classroom teachers, school counselors, school administrators, and parents support children during this recovery period.