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F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E
Save the Date! 2017 National At-Risk
Education Network (NAREN) Conference
April 5-7, 2017 TranZed Alliance
Conference Center Baltimore, MD 21234
Conference sessions will focus on 6 key areas:
1) Relationship Building 2) Motivation &
Engagement 3) Behavior Management
4) Life Skills Coaching 5) Crisis Management
6) Inspirational Strategies Keep checking the NAREN
website for the latest updates and
conference news:
narentranzed.org
Vol. 10, Issue 5 OCTOBER 2016
Poverty and the Brain: Simply Put By Frank Kros, MSW, JD - President, The Upside Down Organization
The impact of poverty on developing children and the neuroscience of the human brain are both enormously complex topics. In particu-lar, how poverty impacts a child's thinking, feeling and behavior is a topic that many esteemed scientists, educators, social workers and scholars have spent careers investigating. It is challenging to make such a complex topic accessible in a short newsletter article. But the promise that neuroscience brings to our growing struggle to teach, nurture, and support our children toward healthy, happy and productive life journeys is exciting enough to be shared wherever possible. So here goes.
The Bad News Severe, chronic poverty results in significant stress. Stress is a brain-based system of responses designed to protect human beings from a perceived threat or threats. The ultimate duty of the stress system is to assure survival. When the brain perceives a threat to physical and/or emotional safety, it secretes chemicals known as glucocorticoids to marshal resources and mandate immediate action. The goal of the action is to resolve the threat, escape the threat, buffer the threat or otherwise protect one from harm. If the action is successful, the glucocorticoids stop being secreted and the brain and body
Featured Article
Beyond Poverty Hosted
Presenter's Corner
2016-2017 “Hosted” Workshop Schedule
Calendar of Upcoming Events
2017 NAREN Conference: Save the Date
Page 2
Poverty and the Brain: Simply Put (continued)
return to a calmer state. Successful protective action is the key to a healthy stress system.
But what happens when successful action cannot be taken? Bad stuff. The brain continues to secrete the glucocorticoids. In significant amounts, glucocorticoids are toxic to neurons, especially those in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the brain's chief memory maker. The hippocampus plays a critical role in all the learning humans do including academic learning and social/emotional learning. Too much of the glucocorticoids destroy the brain's learning capacity because they wither and even kill the cells in the hippocampus. In a very real sense, poverty reduces the brain's biological capacity to learn. Simply put, if your hippocampus is smaller and weaker than non-impoverished peers, you will almost certainly lag behind those peers academically, socially and emotionally.
The Hope Thankfully, neurons in the hippocampus can be repaired and replaced. The process is called neurogenesis. First discovered by Fred Gage and associates at the Salk Institute in 1999, neurogenesis is the maturation of stem cell neurons into fully developed, fully-functioning neurons. Neurogenesis isn't automatic ― a collection of environmental conditions must be present for neurogenesis to be triggered. Nor is neurogenesis easy to stimulate because many of the environmental conditions are either not present in schools or child-serving programs or are present but in insufficient quantity or frequency.
Nonetheless, neurogenesis offers the hope of not only repairing brains negatively impacted by toxic stress but building brains that are bigger, stronger and healthier than ever imagined. While there certainly more developmental domains that need to be addressed in addition to a child's brain biology, the biology of toxic stress makes paramount the need to reverse the physiological impact of poverty on our children.
The Plan Neurogenesis provides a macro structure on which schools and child-serving organiza-tions can design and implement the environmental conditions that promote neuro-genesis. By understanding how toxic stress negatively impacts brain development and how neurogenesis reverses this devastating impact, child-serving professionals can create safe, healthy and enriching milieus in which neurogenesis is a specific, intentional goal. First, some things have to stop. Second, some things have to happen a lot and for a long time.
Children presently experiencing significant toxic stress as a result of poverty (or other forms of trauma) cannot grow new neurons while the ones they have are under attack from too much of the glucocorticoids. So the toxic stress must be stopped first. Lack of physical activity and lack of cognitive stimulation (enrichment) are also impediments to stimulating neurogenesis. Poor nutrition means the nutrients needed to build these new, robust brain cells are lacking. Finally, depression must be identified and treated if the positive effects of neurogenesis are to be realized.
The TranZed Alliance
Conference Center −
You’ve Gotta See This Place!
Our multipurpose conference
center is the perfect setting for your next
seminar, meeting,
conference, retreat or social
event.
To learn more or inquire more
about booking the Conference Center please
call 410-444-3800
and ask for LaMar Williams.
Thankfully, neurons in the hippocampus can be repaired and replaced. The process is called
neurogenesis.
(Continued on next page)
Poverty and the Brain: Simply Put (continued)
Save the Date!
2017 National At-Risk
Education Network (NAREN)
Conference
April 5-7, 2017
TranZed Alliance Conference
Center Baltimore, MD
21234
Keep checking the NAREN
website for the latest updates
and conference news. Call for
Presenters open through August 31, 2016; apply
through the NAREN website.
The environmental conditions needed to stimulate neurogenesis include:
1. Vigorous Physical Play (exercise)
2. Meaningful New Learning (includes language immersion, skill building, and strengthening executive function skills)
3. Exposure to Enriched Environments and Experiences
4. Managed Stress Levels
5. Positive Nutrition
6. Social Supports
7. Sufficient Time
These 7 "Power Tools" provide the essential structure to create brain-enhancing environments that grow healthier, happier children by combating the negative impacts of poverty on the biological brain. Consider joining us for our upcoming hosted workshop on October 26th to learn more.
Read Up! Finally, to learn more about neurogenesis via your own reading, check-out Mahid Fathui's Boosting Your Brain: The New Art and Science Behind Enhanced Brain Performance (2014) and Eric Jensen's Enriching the Brain: Maximizing Every Learner's Potential (2006).
UDO Offers Poverty and the Brain Workshop in October!
Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Poverty presented by Frank J. Kros, MSW, JD
O C T O B E R 26th | 9-4 | Baltimore, MD The TranZed Conference Center, 6802 McClean Blvd., Baltimore, MD
Poverty has a synergistic and pervasive negative impact on children's brains. Given the many developmental windows occurring in childhood, poverty often wreaks havoc on the brain's ability to grow and function optimally. Specific, research-based strategies for combating the negative impact of poverty on learning will be introduced for school-aged children. Exciting discoveries in neuroscience have revealed that the brain is a dynamic and changing organ ― particularly in childhood. Known as "neurogenesis," the brain's ability to change and grow through exposure to environmental stimulus offers exciting new approaches and strategies for educators, parents and child-serving professionals working with children of poverty. The impoverished brain can be changed significantly for the better. The techniques in this workshop provide you with the tools to begin transforming young minds.
COST Individual Registration: $149.00 | Group Registration (3 or more): $129.00 per person
Register now on the UDO website under “Open Workshops”!
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CERTIFICATION PROGRAM PRESENTER'S CORNER: Spreading the Word on Behalf of UDO!
Certified Presenters Start the School Year Strong!
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM PRESENTER'S CORNER: Spreading the Word on Behalf of UDO!
Shauna King and Heather Higgins both visited Deer Park Middle Magnet School in Randallstown, MD early August for a three day training session. Heather started day one of training with a 3-hour “Jack's Brain, Jill's Brain” workshop. Shauna followed up on day two with a “The New IQ?” session and concluded day three with a “Conquering Boredom, Apathy and Indifference in the Classroom” presentation. The following week, Gloria Sherman traveled to Paoli, IN and presented a full day of training to Hoosier Upland's Head Start and Early Head Start staff. The training included included two half-day sessions: "Right From the Start" and "Beyond Poverty." Heather Higgins wrapped up her summer in Lancaster, PA when she presented a "Beyond Poverty" keynote and three "Beyond Poverty" breakout sessions to school staff of the Conestoga Valley School District. Shauna King continued to stay busy in the month of August with three other training dates. First she headed to Waldorf, Maryland and presented a "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" workshop to staff from Charles County Public Schools-Student Services department. Then she headed north to PA and presented our most popular workshop, "Beyond Poverty," to educators of Derry Township Schools. Her summer then concluded with a 4-hour "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" workshop to teachers and paraprofessionals at Dauphin County Technical School in Harrisburg, PA. Ellen Abramson presented two 3-hour workshops, "Right From the Start" and "Beyond Poverty," to 150 staff of Baltimore City Head Start. The training was held in Baltimore, MD and consisted of teachers, family workers and management staff from the program. Alisha Wolf visited Barnstead, NH to present "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" to over 100 school staff of Barnstead Elementary School. Nadia Casseus-Torney hit the conference circuit and presented "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" to Pennsylvania and New Jersey teachers at the 2016 ECET2 NJPA Conference.
NOW is the Time to Book your
Winter and Spring Training Dates!
Looking for a presenter to visit your school, program or organization? Visit our
website and click on the “Request a Quote” button for a free, no-obligation
quote. Ready to submit a request now?
Visit the UDO website at www.upsidedownorganization.org
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM PRESENTER'S CORNER: Spreading the Word on Behalf of UDO!
UDO Offers “Hosted” Workshop Schedule This School Year at TranZed Conference Center in Baltimore, MD
Open to the Public | Only $149 per person* LOCATION: TranZed Conference Center, 6802 McClean Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21234
Back by popular demand, some of our best workshops will be offered next school year from September, 2016 through May, 2017. These workshops are presented by UDO president and world-wide speaker, Frank Kros and promise
to fill quickly. Grab your seats early.
October 26, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Our Students from Economic Disadvantage
November 16, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Becoming a Mental Health Sleuth: The "Sherlock Holmes Skills" Every School Needs
December 8, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs The New IQ?: Understanding and Teaching Executive Function Skills in and Out of the Classroom
January 31, 2017 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind
February 28, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs 1) Brain Matters: The Essential Guide to Brain-Based Learning 2) Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Change the Tomorrows of Our Youths
March 24, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Rethinking ADHD: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why
April 28, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Jack's Brain, Jill's Brain: Gender Differences and Why They Matter
May 18, 2017 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs 1) Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Change the Tomorrows of Our Youths 2) Conquering Boredom, Apathy and Indifference in the Classroom: Strategies to Engage, Excite and Motivate Your Students *Group rate of $129 per person offered for groups of 3 or more.
Registration is now open! Use the links above or visit the UDO website at www.upsidedownorganization.org
("Open Workshops" Tab)
2016/2017 “Hosted” Workshop Schedule
Page 5
And the positive comments keep coming from last month’s Trauma and the Brian hosted session. “This presentation
has been transformational ̶
literally. Information was
easy to take and apply
immediately in my work with young children
and their families.”
“Strong emphasis
on ‘Take Home Messages’ - very helpful learning
tool, clear explanations. Loved Step #8: Instill HOPE.”
“The Brain Path
tour was fantastic…
a good ‘visual’ experience.”
“I will now pay
closer attention to screening for trauma in my students and
thinking about neurology more to
inform my interventions.”
November November 2-3 Poverty/Executive Function Focus Frank Kros | Columbia Public Schools | Columbia, MO November 3 Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Poverty Terri McCloskey | Susquehanna County Coalition for Child Safety | Montrose, PA November 4 Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Poverty Frank Kros | CASA Kane County | St. Charles, IL November 5 Rethinking ADHD: What Works, What Doesn't and Why Ellen Abramson | PGCPS-Judy Hoyer Early Childhood Center | Largo, MD November 12 Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Trans-form the Tomorrows of Our Youth Gloria Sherman | Child Connect for Family Success | Howell, MI November 16 Becoming a Mental Health Sleuth: The “Sherlock Holmes Skills” Every School Needs Frank Kros | The Upside Down Organization | Baltimore, MD November 18 Rethinking ADHD: What Works, What Doesn't and Why Gloria Sherman | Parenting Awareness Michigan Conference | Lansing, MI November 18 Child Abuse and the Brain: The Developmental Impact of Trauma in Childhood Frank Kros | MCA Conference | Cambridge, MD November 22 Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Trans-form the Tomorrows of Our Youth Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Poverty Shauna King | Harford County Public Schools | Bel Air, MD
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Guide to upcoming events and The Upside Down Organization workshops:
Page 6
The Upside
Down
Organization
(UDO) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the
education and
advocacy of
Transformation
Education, an
organizational
philosophy and
operating system
for child-serving organizations.
UDO offers
professional
development
experiences,
mentoring
services, learning
tools and
organizational branding that help
improve the skills
of people who
educate, parent,
guide and care for
young people.
Visit UDO online,
contact 410-444-
5415 or e-mail
Don’t Miss Out!
for our 14th Annual
Practical, Experiential, and Inspiring Conference. For more information, visit the NAREN website at
www.narentranzed.org
April 5-7, 2017 Stocking the Helper’s Toolbox: A Skill-Building Extravaganza
TranZed Conference Center, 6802 McClean Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21234
