Child Abuse Prevention & Education of Charlevoix & Emmet Counties

We are so excited to share about our AMAZING C.A.P.E. Conference

"Supporting Children and Strengthening Families" that took place on April 26!

We were able to start the day honoring wonderful individuals who were nominated by their community as Champions for Children!

This was an honor and a challenge, to select from so many incredible people going above and beyond for youth!

We are so honored to share our Champion for Children Honorable Mentions and Award Winners below.

We quickly moved into an energetic and jam-packed, tool-building day of learning starting with Keynote Speaker Dr. Stephanie Grant.

Our breakout sessions included:

Dr. Grant sharing a Deeper Dive into Developing Regulation through Relationship

TBRI (Trust Based Relation Intervention) with CMH's Christine Dillon and Tina Boughner

Anishinaabe Culture and Perspective with LTBB's Randall Koch and Deleta Smith

and we had an informational Plenary on Social Emotional Learning with Jennifer Lorence!

We cannot even begin to express our gratitude for this amazing group of presenters, who shared not only their knowledge, but a piece of their lives and hearts with us all.

Many groups and organizations came together to make such an incredible day possible. Please join us in thanking the Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, St. John's Episcopal Church of Harbor Springs, and Great Start Collaborative & Parent Coalition of Charlevoix, Emmet, and Northern Antrim Counties, for their financial support(Details below).

Meijer and Wal-Mart, Big Apple Bagels, and Johan's for their generous contributions of snacks and beverages for our attendees. The Kiwanis Club of Charlevoix Michigan for helping to make sure all were well cared for in the snack and clean up department!

Our Continued Education support from Charlevoix-Emmet ISD for SCECHs, McLaren Northern Michigan for Nursing, Health Department of Northwest Michigan for help with Social Work, and Great Start to Quality for MI Registry credits.

Thank you to Karen G., the Planning Committee and the C.A.P.E. Board for all of their work leading up to, during and following the Conference.

We also want to thank Genesis Church and our tech guru Zach for such a welcoming collaboration to insure a rewarding experience for our community!

TEAM WORK TRULY DOES MAKE THE DREAM WORK!!!!

Next year~ We hope to see YOU there to help us as we all work to "Support Children and Strengthen Families" here in Northern Michigan!

Grant support details provided here:

Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation $5,000.00
Grant Support From: Fund for Youth - $1,053; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund - $500; Deb Greenwald Foster Family Care and Support Fund - $2,197; Schulze-Stern Fund for Young People - $1,250

Charlevoix County Community Foundation $3500.00 Boyne Mountain Fund for Youth Cliff and Beth Bye Fund for Youth Jack Laucher Fund for Youth Bob and Gay Pung Fund for Youth Towsley Fund for Youth Tunison-Garlock Fund for Youth

Great Start Collaborative and Family Coalition of Charlevoix, Emmet and Northern Antrim $2500.00

St. John's Episcopal Church of Harbor Springs $2500.00

We are grateful to these community partners for helping to bring this opportunity to support our children and families!

2024 Honorable mentions are:

Champion for Children Honorable Mention~ (not pictured) Trish Hartwick,

"Ms. Hartwick has been an unwavering supporter of the Home Sweet Home Campaign for years! She uses her talents to help find families the right home for them, and then donates a portion of her sales to help us do the community work to help foster homes where children are able to thrive in happy, healthy and safe environments. She does this quietly-likely unknown to those around her. She does this not for recognition, but purely to help children and families in our region"

Champion for Children Honorable Mention~ Erin Zucker

"I am honored to nominate Erin Zucker, from Boyne City Public Schools, for the prestigious CAPE Award, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the students, families, and community of Boyne City. Erin’s dedication to nurturing young talent through her love of the Arts is exemplary!

Erin's tireless yearly efforts include: putting on five Christmas programs, a kindergarten Oprea, a 4th grade play, the BCHS spring Musical, Boyne Meets Broadway, and Young American Summer Camps. These demonstrate her commitment to providing meaningful musical experiences for Boyne City’s students. Additionally she has chaperoned high school students during their spring break, to Broadway. She arranges for the young Americans to come to Boyne City to do workshops. She also offers voice lessons to students. These activities showcase her selfless nature and unwavering dedication to the growth and development of her “kids”.

One particular act of kindness that stands out to me is watching Erin provide free piano lessons to a child, from a military family with ADHD, during one of her prep periods each week one year. She saw he had an interest and a talent so she used this time to inspire and encourage him in a way no one else had done before. This exemplifies her compassionate and generous spirit, as well as her belief in the potential of every student she encounters.

Erin truly embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator and role model, making a significant impact on the lives of those around her. Her unwavering commitment to music education and dedication to her students make her a deserving candidate for the CAPE Award."

Champion for Children Honorable Mention~ Jill Haan

“Jill Haan is a quiet champion for the youngest children in our tri-county region through her work as Director of Early Childhood for Char-Em ISD. Her role is not just a job to Jill; it is her calling. Her laser focus on what is best for kids birth through age 5 in particular is unmatched. She partners with other entities in our communities to find solutions to issues such as the child care shortage and early education teacher shortages. She works so hard with her staff to support children with disabilities, encouraging every effort possible to help them and their families. Her staff loves her and respects her. Our administrative team likewise respects Jill's passion for our area's children. She is respected for her insights into best practices in the provision of early childhood services. Incidentally, her mom, Patricia A. Taylor, is the namesake of the Patricia A. Taylor School for Exceptional Learners in Petoskey, aka "Taylor School." Pat was also a champion for children, serving the ISD as Director of Special Education and Assistant Superintendent decades ago. She definitely passed on her passion and compassion to her daughter, Jill. Jill has truly given a voice to Early Childhood in our region and beyond by encouraging others to give her a seat at the table in important conversations about caring for our area's children. Thank you for considering Jill for this recognition! “

Please join us in congratulating 2024 Champion for Children award recipients:

Champion for Children Award Recipient~ Becky Friske

Champion for Children Award Recipient~ Julie Jamison

The Mental Health Supervisory Team with the Health Department of NWMI (Samantha Johnstone, Rebecca Litzner, and Jill Towne-Patton) would like to nominate mental health professional, Julie Jamison, LMSW, for the 2024 Champion 4 Kids Community Celebration. Julie has worked as a therapist in our school-based program at Boyne Falls Public School over the last four years, and has taken great pride in her work.

Julie goes above and beyond to develop relationships with her students and staff through mental health related initiatives. Some of these activities include:

Being an active member of the Boyne Falls Public School's Wellness Committee.
Forming the 1st annual Boyne Falls Public School's Walk for Mental Health Awareness.

*Assisting to coordinate the Boyne Falls Public School's Community Expo.

*Developing a "Kindness Club" for Middle School students.

*In conjunction with grant funding from SAFE in NM, Julie assisted in developing a "Chill Lounge" at the school, where students can go to calm down and get back into a positive head space, ready for learning.

*In conjunction with school staff, Julie implemented and participated in their Peer-to Peer Bullying Awareness and Prevention Program at Boyne Falls Public Schools.

Performing weekly announcements over the school's PA system, to increase mental health awareness and teach Mindfulness (Mindful Moments) skills.
Creating daily school activities related to mental health during Mental Health Month (May).
Implementing a Mindfulness and Social Emotional Health Library of resources for school staff members personal use and classroom use.
Designing coping skills tool kits for each classroom at Boyne Falls Public Schools.

These are only a sampling of the good work that Julie provides to the youth and their families at Boyne Falls Public Schools on a daily basis. She is an asset to the school, to the Health Department, and to the community as a whole. Julie is a kind and giving person, that dedicates much of her time to the kids and families in our communities. We are proud to have her as a part of our team, and feel she is more than deserving of this award!

Champion for Children Organization Award Recipient~ Great Start Collation Family Collaborative

The Great Start Collaborative Family Coalition comprises parents, caregivers, and grandparents who volunteer their time to enhance our local early childhood system, making it easier to raise healthy and thriving children in our community.

The Family Coalition convenes monthly to discuss the successes of our local early childhood system, exchange ideas for improvement, and advocate for local initiatives aimed at enhancing opportunities for young families. Over the years, the Family Coalition has been instrumental in promoting the local Talking is Teaching campaign. Volunteers have dedicated time and effort to establish Talking is Teaching installations in laundromats, nature trails, and grocery stores, as well as assembling literacy kits for families and local libraries. These efforts aim to expand access to and awareness of the importance of daily communication, reading, and singing with children.

Additionally, the Family Coalition has played a pivotal role in supporting the FreeCycle Book Project, which redistributes gently used children's books at over 70 locations throughout the community, often distributing 20,000 or more books annually. More recently, the Coalition has initiated bi-monthly Family Adventures Days, inviting young families to enjoy free outdoor activities, storytime sessions, snacks, and connections. Furthermore, they have spearheaded sensory-friendly movie experiences, bringing together over 135 community members for family-friendly movie screenings tailored to their unique needs.

The Family Coalition serves as a steadfast guiding voice for the Great Start Collaborative, the body responsible for building our community's early childhood system. Their insights and expertise drive innovation and enhancements in local service delivery to ensure that all families can access the support they need to thrive.

Today, we commend their exceptional dedication to the community and their unwavering commitment to empowering fellow parents, caregivers, and children to reach their full potential.