CHARLEVOIX — More Indigenous and ELL Comfort Kits will be coming to the Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District after a series of surveys found students’ biggest concerns included a desire to increase acceptance and belonging.

The Charlevoix County Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) surveyed more than 800 local students between 7-12th grades and found that their biggest concerns are based in the desire to increase acceptance and belonging in order to reduce school-related stress.

The YAC awarded $6,250 to the Char-Em ISD to help fund the comfort kits. Native-themed coloring books, colored pencils, yoga cards, stuffed animals and books are among the culturally-themed items within the kits.

“These kits will include cultural materials supplied by a generous gift from the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Behavioral Health Department,” said Char-Em ISD Behavioral Health Coordinator Alicia Schlehuber, who applied for the grant on the ISD’s behalf, in a release. “We will collaborate with a cultural advisor in the use of and implementation of the kits.”

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The kits will also include medicine used in Anishnaabek practices, including sweet grass, cedar and sage, said Deleta Smith, cultural coordinator for the LTBB Health Department.

LTBB Behavioral Health Manager Randall Koch said including teachings in the book can help bring balance to students’ lives.

“Trauma is prevalent throughout our community, but Indigenous people also carry the trauma of their ancestors. Utilizing culture offers a means of healing the person, their ancestors and ndanwendaaganak — ‘all my relations,’” Koch said in the release. “In addition, the seven grandfather and grandmother teachings … guide the processes of therapy as they emphasize the values and character necessary for mno bimaadiziwin — ‘living a good life.’”

Schlehuber stressed that the number of ELL students — or students learning English as a second language — is small but increasing, and their social, emotional and mental health needs must be met. School officials said students whose primary language is not English may face learning barriers due to their English proficiency.

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“Anything we as educators can do to ease ELL and immigrant students’ transition into schools and communities, promote strong relationships with educators and peers will lessen the challenge of learning new cultural norms,” Schlehuber said. “Addressing emotional wellness fosters cooperation, clear communication, and conflict resolution. Additional benefits include stress management, motivation, self-efficacy and confidence to seek and offer assistance when it’s needed.”

With Northern Michigan’s large Native American population, the kits are meant to help provide students with items that will help with their emotional wellness. The grant will allow for the purchase of new books in students’ native languages that pertain to social and emotional wellness, while reflecting the students’ culture along with cultural games and puzzles.

“Being a newcomer to our schools can bring with it stress and anxiety for students who do not speak English. It can be challenging for teachers and staff to communicate with students about their feelings. Feelings charts in other languages will be part of the kits for students and staff to utilize,” Schlehuber said. “Having these kits on hand and ready for schools when a new ELL student enrolls will greatly improve the sense of belonging and acceptance for these students, including their emotional wellbeing.”

In addition to helping the students, the kits will allow the staff to learn about, understand and respect other cultures and traditions, Schlehuber said in the release.

Kits are expected to be put together and distributed in spring 2024. Schlehuber will work directly with schools for distribution.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Comfort kits for Indigenous, ELL students funded through YAC grant