JDEI Webinar

Grief-"No Time Limit-Stages are Phases of Acceptance and Hope"

February 20, 2024-5 pm PT/8 pm ET

Grief is a challenging yet little talked about subject.  Join us as Ellen Shane and Kara LC Jones share their approach to grief experience.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Ellen Shane lived there until 1996, when she moved with her family to Southern California.

She cofounded the 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, The Emily Shane Foundation, to honor the memory of her youngest child, Emily Rose Shane, following her tragic murder at the age of 13 in April 2010. Emily was in 8th grade in middle school and struggled academically. She fell into a “grey” area; not needing or qualifying for special education, yet having trouble achieving her best academic ability without outside support.

Due to a lack of resources within the educational system to address students like Emily, the foundation established a unique educational initiative, the SEA (Successful Educational Achievement) Program. The SEA Program empowers underserved students in the mainstream middle school classroom with individualized and intensive essential academic tutoring and mentorship. The program is comprehensive and was developed with a middle school teacher with over 40 years of classroom experience. The SEA Program solely serves those unable to afford this support. Since its inception in the spring of 2012, the SEA Program has made a difference in the lives of over 1000 middle schoolers across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Kara LC Jones is the Creative Grief Educator and heARTist behind Grief + Creativity and will guide us through a Creative Grief experience tool. 

Kara is a Carnegie Mellon graduate who interned for 3 years at Mister Rogers Neighborhood and has spent the last couple of decades exploring creative approaches to grief experience. She co-founded both the Creative Grief Studio and KotaPress

She has authored several books including Mrs. Duck and the Woman, Flash Of Life, and 1000 Permissions Granted. Kara has also contributed to publications such as They Were Still Born, Journal of Family Social Work, Living With Grief, Elegy, and more. For more about her heARTwork, see GriefAndCreativity.com.