Rural communities often lack resources for youth experiencing family stress and/or crisis; it is critical that educators with farm kids develop the knowledge and skills to understand, support, and intervene on their behalf in times of stress. The current farm financial crisis doesn’t just affect the financial and emotional well-being of farmers/ranchers; it impacts family members as well. Farm kids may be living in tense situations with little ability to make sense of what is going on around them. This session will explore the curriculum and evaluation/impact of “Supporting Farm Youth through Understanding and Intervention,” a workshop for classroom teachers, school counselors, and other non-formal educators like 4-H leaders and youth pastors. Teachers, support staff, administrators, and school board members will learn about stress signs/symptoms farm youth may exhibit and ways educators can effectively support their well-being.
