On behalf of the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media (PCA&M) and PA Council on the Arts invite you and your students to participate in 2023-24 Poetry Out Loud (POL)! Please see below. 

•  POL is a national poetry recitation contest for students in grades 9-12.  It’s an innovative, enjoyable, and exciting program that provides opportunities for teachers and students to explore poetry and recitation within the context of a multi-layered competition process that ranges from classrooms to Washington D.C.  (In Pennsylvania, we move from school competitions, to regionals, to state, to national.) POL is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies,

• Participation in POL is at no cost to your school and can connect directly with your curriculum, aligning with PA Core Standards.

• Please take time to read through the three POL PDF documents at PCA&M Poetry Out Loud google drive folder. 

• Visit PCA&M’s Poetry Out Loud webpage for additional information and forms.

Contact: Mary Brenholts, Director of Artists in Schools & Communities at PCA&M, at mbrenholts@pghartsmedia.org for additional information or with any questions.

• ISLE OF CALM (NPR): STREAM 6 HOURS OF SOOTHING MUSIC

• HAPPIFY - HAPPIFY IS AN APP THAT ASSESSES A VARIETY OF DOMAINS IN YOUR LIFE AND TAKES YOU THROUGH MODULES (GAMES, ACTIVITIES, EXERCISES) THAT ARE DESIGNED TO REFLECT THOSE DOMAINS TO INCREASE HAPPINESS AND REDUCE STRESS.

• ALLTRAILS: TRAIL GUIDES & MAPS FOR HIKING, CAMPING, AND RUNNING | ALLTRAILS- WHILE OUR DAY-TO-DAY ROUTINES HAVE CHANGED PRETTY DRAMATICALLY, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. WE MIGHT NEED TO KEEP SOME PHYSICAL DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER FOR A WHILE, BUT WE DON’T NEED TO SHUT OURSELVES IN. THE OUTDOORS IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS (JUST REMEMBER TO PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING!). ALLTRAILS IS A WEBSITE AND APP THAT HELPS YOU FIND LOCAL TRAILS AND OPEN SPACES.

• CALM - SHORT DAILY MEDITATIONS AND SLEEP STORIES TO HELP YOU RELAX. (APPLE) (GOOGLE PLAY)

• HEADSPACE – SHORT 10-MINUTE MEDITATIONS (APPLE) (GOOGLE PLAY)

• BREATH2RELAX – IS A STRESS MANAGEMENT APP, WHICH WILL HELP YOU LEARN HOW TO PERFORM AND USE DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES FOR STRESS CONTROL. (APPLE) (GOOGLE PLAY)

• MINDSHIFT CBT - USES SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN STRATEGIES BASED ON COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) TO HELP YOU LEARN TO RELAX AND BE MINDFUL, DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS OF THINKING, AND USE ACTIVE STEPS TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR ANXIETY.

• WOEBOT – ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND MINDFULNESS TOOL THAT PROVIDES TINY CONVERSATIONS TO HELP YOU FEEL AT YOUR BEST. (APPLE) (GOOGLE PLAY)

• STOP, BREATHE, AND THINK – SIMPLE ACTIVITIES AND MEDITATION TO HELP CHECK IN ON YOUR EMOTIONS AND FEELING (APPLE) (GOOGLE PLAY)

• SHINE – PROVIDES A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR DAILY STRESS AND ANXIETY. LEARN A NEW SELF-CARE STRATEGY EVERY DAY, GET SUPPORT FROM A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. (APPLE) (GOOGLE)

• 7 CUPS - 7 CUPS CONNECTS YOU TO A TRAINED CARING LISTENER FOR FREE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. (APPLE) (GOOGLE PLAY)

• GREENE COUNTY CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER DIRECTORY 9-30-19

• GREENE CO. “FIND OUT” RESOURCES: HTTP://GREENEFINDOUT.ORG/DIRECTIONS.PHP

• TOOLKIT TO SUPPORT YOUTH WITH AUTISM TO BE SHARED WITH FAMILIES: HTTPS://ED.UNC.EDU/2020/03/19/UNC-TEAM-CREATES-ONLINE-TOOLKIT-FOR-THOSE-SUPPORTING-INDIVIDUALS-WITH-AUTISM-DURING-COVID-19-EPIDEMIC/.

• CDC GUIDANCE ON MENTAL WELLNESS DURING CRISIS: HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/PREPARE/MANAGING-STRESS-ANXIETY.HTML.

• GUIDE FOR FAMILIES FROM NATIONAL CENTER OF TRAUMATIC STRESS NETWORK: HTTPS://WWW.NCTSN.ORG/SITES/DEFAULT/FILES/RESOURCES/FACT-SHEET/OUTBREAK_FACTSHEET_1.PDF

• SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TIPS FOR TALKING TO CHILDREN: HTTPS://SUICIDEPREVENTIONLIFELINE.ORG/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2020/03/PEP20-01-01-006-508.PDF

• RESOURCES FROM MENTAL HEALTH OF AMERICA: HTTPS://MHANATIONAL.ORG/COVID19.

• INTERACTIVE COPING TOOLKIT: HTTPS://WWW.VIBRANT.ORG/SAFESPACE/?_GA=2.130988038.847423236.1585068881-1912100212.1585068881.

• HTTPS://WWW.SEGSD.ORG/SCHOLARSHIPS-AVAILABLE

• COLLEGE BOARD HTTPS://PAGES.COLLEGEBOARD.ORG/SCHOLARSHIP-OPPORTUNITIES-FROM-COLLEGEBOARD

• AP COLLEGE BOARD HTTPS://APSTUDENTS.COLLEGEBOARD.ORG/CORONAVIRUS-UPDATES

• CDC COLORING BOOK HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CPR/READYWRIGLEY/DOCUMENTS/RW_COPING_AFTER_A_DISASTER_508.PDF

• COPING WITH CORONA VIRUS ANXIETY HTTPS://WWW.HEALTH.HARVARD.EDU/BLOG/COPING-WITH-CORONAVIRUS-ANXIETY-2020031219183?UTM_CAMPAIGN=SHAREAHOLIC&FBCLID=IWAR2U_CTRIEIQW6PDWZKBEXMU8XKVPKPTRTWTGWH3LG5OO9MJJDYCGAP2PWM

• CORONA VIRUS RESOURCES FOR KIDS HTTPS://WWW.WHOLECHILDCOUNSELING.COM/POST/CORONAVIRUS-RESOURCES-FOR-KIDS-PARENTS-COUNSELORS-AND-EDUCATORS?FBCLID=IWAR3KHNJP34IRJ6AKV96KTNV8OHNIJWHA24YTWL-ZEOM2Q0CIRNM9AVQ6K2Q

• CDC HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/

• SAMHSA HTTPS://WWW.SAMHSA.GOV/

• CHILDMIND.ORG HTTPS://CHILDMIND.ORG/ARTICLE/TALKING-TO-KIDS-ABOUT-THE-CORONAVIRUS/

• STUDENT GUIDE TO CORONA VIRUS HTTPS://SHAREMYLESSON.COM/TODAYS-NEWS-TOMORROWS-LESSON/CORONAVIRUS-STUDENT-GUIDE

• KIDS HEALTH HTTPS://KIDSHEALTH.ORG/EN/PARENTS/CORONAVIRUS-HOW-TALK-CHILD.HTML

• PROMOTING POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH IN ISOLATION HTTPS://SECURE.QGIV.COM/EVENT/INTHISTOGETHER/