2023 ADVISORY BOARD RECOGNITION NIGHT
Promethean celebrated it's 19th year with a Willy Wonka themed Advisory Board Dinner. There were over 100 in attendance to celebrate the impact made in the lives of the children here in Obion County this past year. All of our centers were recognized for their excellent programs and our teachers were rewarded with gifts.
Willow Tree provided a spectacular meal accompanied by a chocolate fountain that was enjoyed by all. We also had several goodies placed on all the tables as well as a Candy Buffet in the lobby. The event was held at Crosswind Church in Union City where the space was perfect and the guests enjoyed a wonderful evening. The blessing for the food was given by an elder of Crosswind Church and speeches were given by Teena Jarmon, Jenny Campbell, and Dr. Martha Herndon. We are looking forward to celebrating our 20th year in 2024! On May 10th, 2023 we attended the 1st Resilient Tennessee Collaborative: Building Strong Brains Summit in Nashville Tennessee. This was a sold out event with watch parties across the state to tune in to this massive wealth of information about how to help the children of Tennessee. We heard speakers that came from all over the country to train in the mental health and wellbeing of children and youth across our state.
The Summit was to inspire community connectedness, strengthen understanding of community engagement, resilience and positive childhood experiences, and further cross-sector collaboration with local, regional and statewide partners to address challenges and improve outcomes for children, youth and families across Tennessee. The Summit was an in-person event at the Boone Convocation Center at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN We had a wide variety of groups from across the state that were in attendance. Listed below are the categories of groups that attended the summit. Behavioral Health - This group is targeted to those persons and organizations providing behavioral health services and may include: community mental health agencies, private practices, mental health advocacy groups, etc. Child Welfare - includes those who are in the field supporting the safety, wellbeing, and permanency of children across the state. This could include partners such as: DCS, DIDD, CASA, Guardians ad litem, Attorneys ad litem, Parent attorneys, District Attorneys/ CPIT teams/ law enforcement, Safe Baby Court staff, Juvenile Court Judges/staff, Adoption agencies, Foster parents, Foster parent associations, Child Advocacy Centers, Agencies providing contracted foster care services, etc. Youth Justice - This group is targeted to persons who work with youth and their families involved in the juvenile justice system at any level. There may be similarities in this group composition to those working in Child Welfare. Education - This group includes all persons involved in education of children and youth and may include public/private education systems, early education, K-12 education, higher education, student support agencies, etc. Social Drivers of Health/Social Supports & Services - This group is designed for people and projects that work to address the community conditions where people live, learn, work and play. This includes housing, community safety, environments. This may include an array of services who provide for the overall wellbeing of children and their families. Some examples include: Family Resource Centers , Food assistance programs , Electric/ utilities assistance programs, Way, Housing/ homelessness assistance programs, Recreation services, Transportation, Rehabilitation, Disability assistance, such as ARC of TN, Social clubs such as the Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts, etc., Mentorship programs such as Big Brother Big Sisters, etc., Home visiting services, State social service programs such as those falling under DHS, etc. The following speakers delivered data, personal stories, their hopes for the future of our state, and many presentations throughout the day. Dr. Christina Bethell, PhD, MPH, MBA Director, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative Professor of Public Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Robert Sege, MD, PhD Director, HOPE National Resource Center Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine Tufts Medical Center Dr. Altha Stewart, MD Director, Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Engagement Associate Professor and Chief of Social/Community Psychiatry University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis Jesse Kohler Executive Director Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice Lizzy Schlichting Policy Consultant, Medicaid Policy and Programs Pathways To Resilience Aurrera Health Group April Scott, MA, EDS, IMH-E® and Kimberly Ladd, CPS HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences April Scott – Infant and Early Childhood Program Manager, Centerstone Kimberly Ladd – Executive Director, Align Hope Melissa Roberts Executive Director, Appalachian Promise Alliance |