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So we’re back from Edmonton…Irislee and I went to school last week in Edmonton learning about “CHILDREN AT RISK”  The week was fascinating for two reasons.  First, Irislee and I have never taken a class together.  We discovered quickly that our learning styles are very different.  Irislee concentrated fully on what the teacher was saying and wrote a lot of notes. I typed out some notes, sent and received e-mails, and checked out a few websites while the class was going on. Although we audited the class and weren’t required to hand in assignments or tests, based on our quiz results, I managed to keep up with my “keener” wife anyways.

The second reason our week was fascinating was because of what we learned.  Our focus was on encouraging healthy, lifelong ATTACHMENT  relationships and building RESILIENCE in the face of crisis.

A few highlights of what we learned…

…nearly 2 billion people in the world are under the age of 15.

…nearly 1 million children under 15 are recruited into prostitution each year.

…200 million children live and work on the streets

…a child’s first year of life is the most crucial year of life.  It’s important that kids experience love and closeness from a primary caregiver for proper brain development.

…resilience can be measured by the amount of I Am, I Can, and I Have factors in the child’s life.  I Am…trust, identity, and attachment. I Can..making friends and developing skills.  I Have…safe people in my life and safe places to go.

…if we can help just a little bit in increasing the support in each of these areas, it will have been worth a trip to the other side of the world for us.

We realize that we have so much to learn and yet we feel a bit smarter because we have learned theory, foundational philosophies for working with children in crisis, and practical ways to help.