Inaugural Summer issue of 'Teaching Tolerance' examines how educators can help students cope with community violence

When violence erupts in a community such as Newtown, Conn., or Oak Creek, Wis., schools can play an important role in helping children navigate our sometimes-violent world, according to the inaugural Summer issue of Teaching Tolerance magazine, released today by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The cover story of the Summer 2013 issue – “When Bad Things Happen: Helping Kids Navigate a Sometimes-Violent World” – examines how teachers and schools can support their students when they encounter such violence. It looks at steps taken by educators in Newtown and Oak Creek as their communities recovered from deadly shootings. It also offers tools to help students cope with chronic violence in their community or even violence far from their community that receives exhaustive news coverage.

“Community violence can reach into any classroom,” said Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello. “Teachers and schools are in a unique – and crucial – position to help students understand and cope when these tragic events occur.”

The Summer issue is the first digital-only version of the magazine for the iPad. It can be accessed here. The digital edition includes video, audio and animation.

Teaching Tolerance also examines how an Ohio school district with a large number of Amish students created an environment where Amish and non-Amish students cooperate in the classroom and on the playground, forging friendships as they achieve academic goals.

Other articles examine school challenges for Asian students; how teachers use science lessons to address social justice issues; and how students can learn about community health, equity and sustainable food systems through food justice programs at school.

Teaching Tolerance magazine, published three times a year, is the nation’s leading journal serving educators on diversity issues. It is distributed free of charge to more than 450,000 educators nationwide.