Team Anita held a digital town hall on Thursday, March 26th. The virtual conversation brought together experts and the community to discuss the best ways to help children cope during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’ve heard from so many who wonder if they’re telling their children the right information. Many parents, grandparents and caregivers are also concerned about kids being in this type of self-distancing for a prolonged period,” Malik said.
“As a campaign, we’ve mobilized our volunteer base to do checkup calls to neighbors, to help and be a listening ear at this time. Our primary focus has been to keep people connected because the mental health of our communities is critical during this time. With resources and knowledge comes a type of security. This town hall and my many Digital Cafe chats are extensions of this effort.”
Attendees were able to ask questions live during the town hall. If you’d like to see more conversations like this or on other topics during this time, please email us at info@anitaforarizona.com.
Additional Resources
- COVID-19 resources from the Arizona Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium
- Talking to Children about COVID-19 from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
- COVIBOOK – A downloadable children’s book about the crisis.
Panelist Bios & Contact Information
Brad Snyder
R. Bradley Snyder is the Executive Director of the Dion Initiative for Child Well-Being and Bullying Prevention, Chair of the Arizona Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium, and a Commissioner on the Governor’s Council on Child Safety and Family Empowerment. Brad brings to these positions three decades of experience managing projects targeting children and adolescents for clients ranging from Cartoon Network to the U.S. Justice Department (for whom his project won the Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University). Experts describe Brad’s book, The 5 Simple Truths of Raising Kids, as an “urgent ‘must-read.’”
www.azaces.org
brad@rbradleysnyder.org
Dr. Sristi Nath
Dr. Sristi Nath is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Nath practices in Scottsdale. She graduated from Chaparral High School, completed a Bachelor degree in psychology at Stanford University, and received her doctorate degree from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University. She regularly lectures at conferences on various topics including Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents.
Jill Leshin
Jill Leshin holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education. She is a Certified Reading Specialist and has been an Early Childhood Educator for over 25 years. Jill Leshin is the founder of the Pre-K Academy. Pre-K Academy develops unique, brain-based learning techniques that further prepare children for Kindergarten. Jill is also the proud mother of Benjamin and Luke.
www.Pre-kacademy.com
jill@pre-kacademy.com
Julie Cieniawski
An educator for over 30 years, Julie understands our kids. She has worked in numerous roles including educator, school athletic coach, performing arts director, department chair, club sponsor, assistant principal, parent volunteer, and community activist. She was awarded the Scottsdale Foundation Quest for Excellence Award in recognition of Excellence in Civic Leadership and the Charros Teacher Award. She was Scottsdale Education Association President for 3 years. She is also a candidate for Scottsdale Schools Governing Board. She is now a candidate For Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board.
www.JulieCforBetterSchoolsNow.com
juliecforbetterschoolsnow@gmail.com
