2021 Virtual Children's Grief Awareness Day
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, the Highmark Caring Place hosted the Second Annual VIRTUAL Children's Grief Awareness Day.
The schedule of the day's presentations and activities are shown below, including links to those Presentations and to the Activities Sheets that accompanied some presentations. All the videos are also available on a YouTube or Facebook playlist for viewing at any time.
8 am — Empowering Children to Feel Safe to Say "I'm Not OK" — Children's Grief Awareness Day Kick-Off (Terese LaVallee, Sally Wiggin, Merril Hoge, Vicki Jay, and Neil Walker)
9 am — It's OK to Remember — "If I Could Turn Back Time" Presentation and Worksheets (Valerie's House — Fort Myers, Naples & Punta Gorda, Florida)
10 am — "Ride the Wave" and "Living Life While Grieving" Songs (Josh & Gab - Pittsburgh, PA) with "Ride the Wave" Activity (Highmark Caring Place — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) — "Ride the Wave" Worksheet
11 am — It's OK to Show Your Feelings — Middle/High School Block includes:
- 11 am — "Widow at 19" Presentation (Mollie Landman Hunker — Grove City, Pennsylvania)
- 11:30 am — "Feelings Mask" Activity Presentation and "Feelings Mask" Worksheet (Brighter Days Grief Center — Eden Prairie, Minnesota)
12 pm — "Companion Planting" Presentation and "Companion Planting" Worksheet (AgWorks Program — Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
1 pm — It's OK to Be Sad – Author Interview & Activity, with "Today's Feelings Book" Handout featuring the author of Jenny Mei Is Sad (Tracy Subisak — Portland, Oregon)
2 pm — "It's OK to Not Be OK" — Grief Talks Webinar (Highmark Caring Place)
3 pm — It's OK to Tell Your Story – A Conversation About Grief with Holocaust Survivor & Author Dr. Edith Eva Eger (La Jolla, California); "Meet Dr. Eger" handout
4 pm — It's OK to Grieve Together – "When Someone Dies: Activity Cards for Young Children" Presentation with Activity Cards Handout (National Alliance for Children's Grief — Lubbock, Texas)
5 pm — It's OK to Dance — "It's a Beautiful Day" Mister Rogers' Tribute featuring recording artist FRZY (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
6 pm — It's OK to Express Yourself — Activities include:
- 6 pm — "Scream Boxes" Activity Presentation with "Scream Boxes" Activity Worksheet (The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network)
- 6:15 pm — "Response" Activity Presentation (Roberta’s House)
- 6:30 pm — "Memory Stones" Activity Presentation with "Memory Stones" Activity Worksheet (Trying Together)
- 6:45 pm — Various Grief Activities Presentation, including the "Butterfly Project" Handout (ACH Clear Pathways)
7 pm — It's OK to Share Your Grief — MTV's Beautiful Something Left Behind Panel Discussion featuring Director Katrine Philp, Producer Katrine Sahlstrøm, and members of the cast (Copenhagen, Denmark & Robbinsville, New Jersey)
8 pm — It's OK to Keep the Memory of Our Loved Ones Alive — "Time of Remembrance" featuring:
- 2021 Illuminating Hope Mosaic Mural reveal
- Moment of Remembrance
- "Hope" artwork creation & reveal by "Paints by Kait" — Seattle, Washington
9 pm — "Thank You for Supporting Us" — a message from grieving children, families, and organizations who support grieving children from around the world