Education Program

When life interferes with learning

‍Recognizing when it’s time to seek support
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How do you know when to seek support? Ask yourself:
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• Is the situation interfering with my normal daily activities? Interference might with daily activity might be reflected in trouble concentrating, difficulty sleeping enough (or sleeping too much), changes in appetite, mood, or social behavior.
• Is the situation occupying too much of your time? Maybe the situation is eating up time by preoccupying your thoughts, distracting you from other crucial activities or time spent dealing with the situation leaves you less time for work, care, rest, and connection.
• Has the situation lasted several weeks? It’s normal to have occasion, brief disruptions and challenges, but situations that persist for weeks can drain your reserve and affect your physical, mental, and emotional health and weaken your ability to cope.

Answering yes to any one of these questions for yourself or your child or teen could mean that it’s time to seek help. You don’t have to handle everything on your own.

Knowing where to go for help
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Many public school offer Student and Family Assistance Programs. These programs can help you locate no charge professional counseling services that can address the situations that can affect a family and make academic performance and well-being precarious.

These programs can help with stress and anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, issues related to divorce/blended families, parenting issues and questions, coaching for behavioral changes such as anger management.

Contact the individual in charge of student services in your school district for more information about the program in your district.

The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can get the support you need.
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Connecting with lifelong learning opportunities

Today’s world requires an ongoing ability to adapt and learn as technology changes and career opportunities evolve. One of the best ways to be prepared for change and the opportunities that it brings is to become a lifelong learner. Sometimes that means returning to school for training and certification. Sometimes it means keeping abreast of change and following your interest with free opportunities to hone the skills you have or gain new ones.

Free, online university courses

Big name universities offer some free access to a variety of courses. Check out EDx for a list of schools with free online courses and browse courses and programs. Whether you need to refresh skills in your field or learn something entirely new, chances are what you need is here.

Community colleges continuing education and career training programs

Your local community college can help you refresh, improve, or gain new skills. Check the community college near you for free or low cost continuing education courses and career training programs. Whether in-person or online, these programs often suit the schedules of busy professionals looking for career advancement.

Local public library programs

Your local public library is another avenue for no-charge lifelong learning opportunities. These programs can be especially useful if you need a focused update on technology, such as using Microsoft Excel or learning to use social media to promote yourself or your business. Join or subscribe to your local public library newsletter to get regular updates on their offerings.