We had a tough start to 2026 in the state of Minnesota due to concentrated ICE activity during Operation Metro Surge from January through the spring. Many schools pivoted to online during this period as families were afraid and opted to stay home due to mass arrests and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Community helpers quickly mobilized to provide food and necessities to families in hiding. Educators expressed feeling both overwhelmed and deeply concerned for staff, students, and families.
This kind of collective trauma has a real and lasting impact on the community. While many people have moved on from these events after the news coverage stopped, educators and families are left with the mental health impact of this intense event long after outside attention decreased.
Schools have faced higher needs for mental health support for staff, students, and families since the COVID pandemic. For Minnesota schools, along with many schools across the country, this need continues to intensify. As we look forward to the start of the 2026-2027 school year, it is important to recognize the increased need for safety, mental health literacy, and proactive interventions in schools.
Two opportunities that allowed us to support educator, student, and family mental health this summer were with Head Start and Minnesota Grow Your Own teachers.
Providing Support to PICA Staff, Students, and Families
Thanks to State Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) funding, we have had the opportunity to support Partners in Community Action (PICA) Head Start educators, students, and families in Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis area was disproportionately affected by Operation Metro Surge. Being able to be in Early Head Start (EHS) and Preschool classrooms at eight different PICA sites this summer enables us to provide regulating movement for young children and stress-management techniques for staff.
One favorite move for the children this summer is Eagle. Eagle is a move where children cross their arms and hug themselves while they are sitting or standing. They can also practice balancing on one foot when standing by crossing one leg over the other, as well. Eagle is a playful and fun movement to share with children, yet it also teaches an important skill – the ability to give themselves a self-soothing hug. After sharing this move in the classroom, it can be incorporated into circle time, lining up, or snack time as a way to keep bodies safe. It can also provide helpful input into the body that can calm children when they are sad, scared, or frustrated.
For PICA teachers, having a move to relieve back pain and take a break is equally important. At the end of each summer movemindfully classroom session, staff are encouraged to lie down and rest their legs against furniture or a wall. Elevating Legs can ease back pain, provide a quick rest break, and can be used at home to prepare for a good night’s sleep. In one preschool classroom, all the students laid down and put their legs against the wall, too! This was right before a field trip, so it was a great regroup for everyone.
Mental Health Support for MNGOT Students
Dr. Jennifer Clifden has chosen I Am Safe as required reading for her Modeling and Mirroring Mental Health in the Classroom course for the Minnesota Grow Your Own Teacher (MNGOT) program at the University of Minnesota again this year. Since Dr. Clifden’s work focuses on teacher well-being and burnout prevention, she embeds mental health support into her program for non-traditional students as they complete their Master’s in Education and get their teaching license.
We were invited to join Dr. Clifden and her students after they read I Am Safe, to share mind-body practices that they can use both personally and professionally. It was amazing to hear the insights her students had after finishing the book. Several students shared that they did not expect to enjoy the book due to its focus on mind-body practices in mental health settings, yet ended up finding it to be very useful. This is a huge compliment, since the I Am Safe approach is designed to be engaging for everyone – especially more reluctant mind-body practitioners.
At the same time that educators are being asked to provide more support for students, many MNGOT students are working full-time while completing this program. Many PICA and MNGOT educators are also caring for their own families. Chair Dog is a move that both MNGOT students and PICA educators learned this summer because it can be used to stretch the legs and back while giving the mind a quick reset. Resting hands on a chair, wall, or countertop, walk your feet back as you stretch your legs and spine. This simple movement relieves tension in the body while bringing the head down, giving the eyes a break and increasing circulation to the brain.
Slowly Sway is a move MNGOT students explored to use for both themselves and the children in their classrooms. Standing with loose arms and swaying slowly can stretch sore back muscles. It is also a great move for students so that they can move while getting ready to listen, learn, and make good choices.
As you explore Eagle, Elevating Legs, Chair Dog, and Slowly Sway, consider how you might share these with your students this fall. Naming that everyone experiences stress – and that stress can feel more intense based on what’s happening in school, in the community, or at home – is an important mental health intervention.
When planning for the upcoming school year, providing mind-body practices that give educators, students, and families a way to slow things down, take a break, and reset when they need to is a kindness, especially in the aftermath of collective trauma.