Community Briefing: Social Connectedness and Youth Mental Health |
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Thank you to all who attended!
On June 19th, more than 120 community leaders gathered in Watertown for a briefing on social isolation and loneliness and how it is connected to the alarming increase in youth depression and anxiety rates.
As humans, we are wired for connection. It’s essential to our health and wellbeing, with proven impacts on depression, heart disease, stroke, anxiety, and dementia.
The briefing kicks off a community-wide movement that will focus on the importance of social connection for wellbeing, with emphasis on fostering stronger opportunities for connection for young people, elderly people, and people living with disabilities.
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“Together we can build a community that is healthier,
more resilient, less lonely, and more connected.”
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
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The leadership in the room–from a wide variety of sectors–demonstrated how ready and capable Dodge and Jefferson Counties will be in taking on this challenge. Starting with individual actions and working outward through respective agencies and employers… it is possible to build the relationships, environments and policies that support connection.
Asked to participate in an individual pledge to participate in this movement, the overwhelming majority were ready to roll up their sleeves and work to support our youth with proactive efforts focused on connection, even as the Foundation and its Every Child Thrives partners continue to support additional approaches to mental health.
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Behind the scenes
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A small group of Every Child Thrives partners participated in a Narrative Building Workshop where they identified values that can help bring the community together around this issue. The local workshop builds on a national project the Foundation joined, Narratives for Health. We are one of the first communities to customize the national narrative for local application.
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A series of Focus Groups are taking place with groups especially impacted by loneliness and isolation, such as single parents and youth.
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Get involved
You will see and hear more about social connection over the coming months, and your involvement is needed!
Our first step is to raise awareness on the topic of loneliness and the importance of social connection. Our goal is to host more than 50 conversations for agencies, departments and civic groups across Jefferson and Dodge Counties.
Professionals and volunteers interested in raising awareness and activating support for the community pledge are encouraged to attend Social Connection Awareness Facilitator Training.
Facilitator Training
Monday, July 29th
1pm to 3pm at the Collective, 672 Johnson Street in Watertown
If you were unable to join us for the Community Briefing, we are hosting a repeat event.
Community Briefing on Social Connectedness and Youth Mental Health Wednesday, August 7th
11:30am to 1:00pm at the Watertown Public Library
Complimentary lunch served from 11:30 to noon; program from noon to 1pm
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National Campaign for Grade Level Reading
Features Panel of Every Child Thrives Partners
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The panelists, along with Kim Melcher and Susan Olson from the Foundation, shared how the Early Childhood Equity Strategies Learning Collaborative has impacted their work.
Carol Quest and Abbigail Kuehn with the Watertown Department of Public Health discussed how a review of birth records and maternal child health data revealed disparities for families of color, particularly in the areas of prenatal health and supportive services after birth. This led the organization to change programs and approaches that directly address these factors.
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Jessica Johnson, Dodgeland School District Administrator, shared that their strategies have included providing specific professional development for teachers, having an emphasis on social-emotional based learning, and building in a tiered system of supports for students.
Jenny Borst from the Watertown Unified School District concluded the session by discussing the ways the district is using a social-emotional framework called the Pyramid Model in classrooms to promote student well-being and inclusion, and the data used to track correlations with reading outcomes.
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Milestone Achieved for
Rock River Ridge Housing Development
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The Watertown Common Council recently approved a development agreement for Rock River Ridge, the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation's proposed housing development sited on land formerly owned by Bethesda and purchased as part of a $16 million+ investment in the community.
The agreement follows over a year of planning and negotiation with City leaders, and marks an important project milestone, though there are still multiple steps to work through before final approval is granted. Read the City's full news release here.
Why invest? The housing shortage is impacting communities across Wisconsin and the nation. There is no single reason for the lack of affordable housing, but rather a "perfect storm" of trends (including rising costs, availability, shifting demographics, financing gaps and outdated planning). There is also, unfortunately, no simple solution. The Foundation is working on many fronts to increase the number of available units in our region at costs that are as reasonable as possible.
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TalkReadPlay Survey Results |
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The annual survey of community members to measure the impact of TalkReadPlay is complete. Thank you to the many Every Child Thrives partners who shared the survey! The number of respondents continues to grow year over year.
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84% of caregivers reported telling stories or singing songs to the child in their care four times per week or more, which is an increase from 80% in 2023.
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81% of caregivers reported reading to the child in their care four times per week or more, an increase from 80% in 2023.
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TalkReadPlay is a community movement designed to strengthen families by promoting Early Relational Health, the emotional wellbeing that grows from the positive connection between children and their caregivers.
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Pyramid Model 2023 Impact Report |
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The Pyramid Model is a framework of evidence-based practices shown to help children develop important life skills like problem-solving, self-control and communication.
The Foundation and its Every Child Thrives partners have invested in training and coaching to instill Pyramid Model practices in a variety of early childhood settings, and are recognized as state and national leaders.
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Coworking, Office Space at the Collective |
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The Collective is an innovative shared workspace for entrepreneurs, remote workers, small businesses, freelancers, and anyone looking for an environment where shared resources support an exponentially better work experience. Your membership includes wraparound amenities that foster collaboration and connection.
Join us for the day or grab a monthly membership. We also offer reservable rooms for conferences, retreats, events and more.
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Now Accepting Grant Applications
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We empower community change leaders with the tools they need to build strong families and thriving communities, helping local organizations learn, grow, collaborate, and move their missions further. |
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The Foundation provides resources, tools and support to changemakers who work toward measurable improvement in community health. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $43 million in its three strategic, child-focused priorities: Strong Families, Kindergarten Readiness and School Success. |
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Leadership and Learning: Kudos to Foundation-Supported Partners and Staff |
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Congratulations to Watertown Regional Medical Center. For the second consecutive year they have been named a dual recipient of Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award™ and the Outstanding Patient Experience Award™. Our region is fortunate to have a medical center dedicated to continually achieving this excellent level of care.
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Construction is underway at Trinity St. Luke's Lutheran School as they expand, adding early care and education to their offerings. The Foundation is delighted to support this project as part of our ongoing work to increase access to quality early care for children and families throughout Dodge and Jefferson Counties. It's exciting to watch the project unfold as they share regular updates!
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Save the date for the November 2nd "East Region Early Childhood Educators Conference," which will be held at the Watertown Campus of Madison College. It is such an honor to have this event happening in our backyard.
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What We're Reading (click on the links to access)
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Sharing a variety of news articles that address issues prioritized by our Every Child Thrives partners and Foundation leaders.
Dan Porterfield, CEO of the Aspen Institute, speaks with Krystal Reyes, Chief Resilience Officer for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as they explore the vital role of local governments in making a direct and positive impact on people's lives.
At a February briefing on Capitol Hill, UnidosUS and Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors drew attention to the massive gaps for Latino children that demand policy action across education, health care, economic security, and immigration. Here are some of the alarming facts provided at the briefing, as shared by the BUILD Initiative.
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920.390.4000
672 Johnson Street, Suite 300, Watertown WI 53094
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