As a 25-year veteran teacher and school administrator, I know that in today’s fast-paced classrooms, educators are constantly navigating complex emotional landscapes, both their own and those of their students. The We Are Resilient approach by Dovetail Learning offers a powerful yet simple tool to help educators respond rather than react: the “power of the pause.” This intentional moment of stillness can transform interactions, strengthen relationships, and model emotional intelligence for students and student leaders like Safe School Ambassadors, alike.

At its core, the power of the pause is about creating space between a stress event and our response. In

by Rachel Hunkler

Community Matters and the Eradicate Hate Global Summit share the goal of empowering and engaging youth voices. We believe including young people in anti-hate and community safety efforts is critical to their success.

We know that young people’s actions can make a tremendous difference – sometimes the difference between life and death. Research on this topic indicates that approximately 80% of school shooters leak communications indicating their intentions prior to their attack.  Research also tells us that peers are more likely to receive these leaked communications and are, therefore, much better positioned to identify concerning behaviors.

That’s