Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1349911
WEA has been awarded funds through the National Education Association Safe and Just Schools Grant. is grant award will help to fund resources to further remedy equity issues for students across the state, as well as bringing additional training opportunities to educators to learn more about trauma-informed teaching practices and promoting social justice in Wyoming schools. WEA Vice President Kim Amen will join a cadre of 10 educators in training about these issues so that this cadre can, in turn, train members and educators across Wyoming. "I am very excited about this opportunity, and I believe this grant will provide resources that we have not had in the past. It will allow us to address some very important issues that affect the daily lives of Wyoming students and staff," Amen told WEA News. "Our students were able to go back to in-person learning this fall, but that doesn't mean Covid-19 ended. It doesn't mean that the stress of the pandemic or the issues of lack of access for our most vulnerable students were magically solved," she said. "It doesn't mean that our minority and LGTBQ+ students don't face daily challenges. e trauma and stress facing our students and staff are higher than ever, and this grant aims to provide some education surrounding how to begin addressing these issues." schools Born to a non-US citizen and raised on a dairy farm and cattle ranch, 8th-grade history teacher and WEA member Neil Hokanson is no stranger to hard work or civic pride—both values that he fosters in his students. e Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Wyoming named him the 2019-2020 VFW Middle School Teacher of the Year. As citizens of the United States of America it is important to understand our role," says Hokanson. "e Constitution does not say "We the government..." it says "We the people..." It is our responsibility to make change as needed and to be active participants in society. at is what I hope my students take away from my United States History classes." Hokanson points to storytelling as a great way to get students engaged in history and civic education. "Share your story and help students highlight their own stories so they understand the significance of their lives and how they are interwoven into society. ey are part of one of the greatest countries on the face of the earth and their relatives made it so!" History & Civics Engagement with VFW Middle School Teacher of the Year 2020 Neil Hokanson Neil Hokanson US History Teacher Johnson Junior High School