Resources

Belonging Report Card

For decades, research has shown that achievement alone does not tell the full story of student success. Dr. Howard Stevenson’s groundbreaking research with Black students in the 1990s highlighted the importance of developing the skills, confidence, identity, and resilience needed to navigate the world beyond the classroom.

More recent research has continued to reinforce this message: even students in high-achieving academic environments can be vulnerable to challenges that impact wellbeing and long-term success. The framework of the 5Cs of Positive Youth Development — competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring — reminds us that young people need more than knowledge. They need the tools to understand themselves, build relationships, make healthy decisions, and thrive.

Use this Belonging Report Card & Parent Guide to facilitate a regular check in with your child on the aspects that are optimal for students to fully thrive.

View the report card

View the parent guide

The 5 C's of Positive Youth Development framework was developed by Dr. Richard M. Lerner and colleagues at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University. Private School Village uses this evidence-based framework to guide programs and resources that cultivate the conditions for students to thrive.

White Paper

Climate Survey

View & Read

View & Read

View & Read

Own Your Peace & Wellness Kit

View & Read

The Village Scholarship Impact Report

View Report

TVS Impact Report

Immigration & Education

Affinity Groups:

College Preparedness Study:

College Choices, Choice Dilemmas: Black Advantaged Parents’ Views of Their Children’s College Options

Books:

Black Family's Guide to College Admissions (Shereen Herndon-Brown & Timothy Fields);
Who Gets in and Why (Jeffrey Selingo);
The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students (Anthony Abraham Jack)

Websites:

Understanding the Choices;
Fairtest(listing of all the schools that are test-optional, test-free)

Racial Literacy/Race/DEIJ In School/Critical Race Theory

Racial Literacy Introduction — A Conversation with Dr. Howard Stevenson about Racial Literacy (Sept. 2021)
TedMed Talk (2-21-2018) — How to Resolve Racially Stressful Situations
NPR PBS NewsHour/WATCH (June 29, 2021): Answering your questions on critical race theory
Education Week/May 18, 2021: What is Critical Race Theory and Why is it Under Attack?
The Atlantic/May 5, 2021: Homeroom: I’m Concerned About Wokeness at My Child’s School - Most of the teachers and parents I talk with just want school to be school.

Multi-Purpose (Education, Advocacy & General Allyship)

Social Justice Books: The best selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, YA, and educators.
Check out the Witnessing Whiteness Discussion Group for a 10-week program designed to engage in personal learning. Each 2-hour session will focus on a chapter of Witnessing Whiteness by Shelly Tochluk, supplemented by timely resources that reflect current events in racial justice. The first session includes introductions and orientation; readings are due beginning the second week. This course is offered periodically.

White Ally Toolkit: How does a white person who aspires to be an ally against racism talk to their friends and family who are in denial about racism against people of color? Learn how to respond to a wide variety of statements that racism-denying white people often make.
Teaching While White (TWW) seeks to move the conversation forward on how to be consciously, intentionally, anti-racist in the classroom. Visit their website by clicking here to view resources, their blog, and more.
Momma, Did You Hear the News? by Sanya Whittaker Grag
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Ph.D.
A Kid's Book About Racism by Jelani Memory
White Rage, by Carol Anderson & her lecture on the topic given at Emory University.
Talking Race With Young Children (NPR)
NMAAHC Talking About Race Web Portal
I Hate That I Have To Tell You By Darnell Walker (link to free e-book)
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race, by Beverly
Daniel Tatum and a conversation with Dr. Tatum at the Chicago Humanities Festival.
“Who gets to be Afraid in America” by Ibram X Kendi (The Atlantic)
Learn more about The Collective PAC, including their Black Campaign School by clicking here.

Discussing the Police

Talking About Race

N-Word Specific

Straight Talk about the N Word (by Dr. Neal A. Lester/Teaching Tolerance)
Articles by Dr. Neal A. Lester/Teaching Tolerance
Why It's So Hard to Talk About the N Word by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor/Ted Talk

Supporting Black Men

Men Thrive: A digital platform dedicated to helping Black men of all ages show up whole, operate with joy, and live with power.
Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America
Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights by Rob Sanders

White Nationalists Targeting Teens Online

Connecting the Dots: Protecting Students from White Nationalist Influence during COVID-19 (Full Lecture & Video series posted on Medium)
Building Resilience & Confronting Risk in the COVID-19 Era: A Parents & Caregivers Guide to Online Radicalization (Southern Poverty Law Center)
Racists Are Recruiting. Watch Your White Sons (NY Times Opinion)
Rabbit Hole Podcast (New York Times)
Swastikas in the Bathroom: Connecting the Dots between White Supremacy, White Nationalism, the AltRight, and the Alt-Light, by Shelly Tochluk and Christine Saxman (Medium)
My Day with the Far Right, by Shelly Tochluk

Supporting Children With Challenges

www.gozen.com (easing anxiety for children)
Superpowered: Transform Anxiety into Courage, Confidence, and Resilience, by Renee Jain and Dr. Shefali Tsabary
The Conscious Parent, by Dr. Shefali Tsabary
The Motherhood Evolution (How Thriving Mothers Raise Thriving Children), by Suzi Lula
Support Groups for Parents with Special Needs Children:
- Facebook: MNO SoCal-Caregivers of SN Children
- For Moms, specifically: www.wearebravetogether.com
- Tilt Parenting by Debbie Reber - https://tiltparenting.com/
Social Skills / Social Thinking Resources: The Social Foundations LA at www.socialfoundationsla.org (small group, virtual & mobile social groups)
Enrichment Classes / After School (Virtual): The Help Group “Kids Like Me” - https://www.kidslikemela.org/afterschool-programs-schedule/ (mostly for more impacted children)
Apps/Websites/Recommendations
Social, Emotional Learning (SEL):
- Free Virtual Classes
- Brain Breaks via GoNoodle
Organization Help
- Google Keep--Digital task manager
- Google Calendar/Learning Works for Kids (virtual schedule, insert zoom links, reminders, due dates)
Note-Taking Help
- IMindMap Kids Ap
- Notability/Evernote App
Attentional Assistive Technology: Forest App (popular with Middle/High School students) to help focus
7 Top Tips for Self-Care as a Special Needs Parent by Susanna Peace Lovell

School Search Resources

College -- Fastweb is a National Scholarship Database designed to simplify the scholarship search by helping students find millions of scholarships, grants, internships, and financial aid opportunities.
College -- How to build a college list & Expectations for Success Checklist - Grades 9 -12
College -- The Guided Pathway Support Program (GPS) is a FREE program designed to help college-bound African American high school juniors and seniors navigate the admissions process by directing them to the most comprehensive and reliable resources available including access to GPS College Advisors, weekly college and scholarship advising webinars, college scholarships, essay reviews, scholarship application assistance, and more. Registrations are free and accepted year-round. Learn more here.
Los Angeles Independent Schools -- LAIS – Los Angeles Independent Schools – is a consortium of 59 Los Angeles-area independent schools serving children from preschool to 12th grade that share a common mission: assisting families in their exploration of independent school education.