SUSU In Action: Celebrating See Us, Support Us Champions
It is important to take time to acknowledge and celebrate the people you know or work with who are champions for children of incarcerated parents. Whether they have been doing so for years or just started learning about parental incarceration, their efforts are needed and appreciated because it takes all of us to create spaces where children of incarcerated parents can turn for support. Nominate a champion here.
Celebrate them on social media
Post the image to the left on Twitter and Facebook/Instagram and share in the tweet or caption who you are celebrating as a #SeeUsSupportUs Champion and why! Tag the Osborne Association and use the #SeeUsSupportUs hashtag so we can celebrate them too. Download the image here.
Some See Us, Support Us Champions!
Below are just a few #SeeUsSupportUs champions who are dedicated to ensuring children of incarcerated parents feel heard, seen, and supported.
NYC City Councilmember Danny Dromm
Councilmember Dromm was a public school teacher for 25 years, including teaching 4th graders and creating inclusive spaces where he conveyed the message that good people go to jail, including Martin Luther King, Jr. As a Councilmember, he supported funding for programs serving children with incarcerated parents, and sponsored and passed the Child-Sensitive Arrest legislation in 2019. Thank you Councilmember Dromm for being a long-time champion of children of incarcerated parents!
Councilmember Dromm with SUSU Youth Fellow, Mia Barksdale
Michelle Eaton, JD
Michelle Eaton is the Senior Education Specialist for Advocates for Children in New York City. Thank you Michelle for being a champion of children of incarcerated parents in schools!
"Learning about issues facing children of incarcerated parents has been a journey for me. As an employee at Advocates for Children, I have seen first- hand the impact on my clients who are dealing with this issue. I work with youth and families in the foster care system who often feel powerless. Giving clients the tools to know their rights and maintain parental relationships is so crucial to healing and recovery. I am proud to be a SUSU Champion and thank you for selecting me!”
Nick Griffin, "Coach Griff"
Nick, known as “Coach Griff" works in Troup County Georgia with Communities in Schools & POPS the Club. Thank you Nick for being a champion of children of incarcerated parents in schools!
Reza Mir
Reza is a POPS the Club sponsor and educator at Lawndale High School. Thank you Reza for being a champion of children of incarcerated parents in schools!
"It’s been a wonderful experience working with POPS these past five years. There are countless young students who’ve been deeply impacted by incarceration. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to create an environment where those young voices can join together and express themselves creatively and without judgment."
Oscar Calderon Leon
Oscar facilitates Project What!, an afterschool program for youth with incarcerated parents in Oakland, CA. Thank you Oscar for being a champion for children of incarcerated parents in schools!
Dennis Danzinger
Dennis is a Retired English teacher, a co-founder of POPS the Club, and a POPS Volunteer at Venice High School, CA. Thank you Dennis for being a Champion for children of incarcerated parents in schools!
Whitney Hollins
Whitney is an author, educator, advocate, public speaker, changemaker, mentor, mother, and daughter. She is the author of Anna's Test, a book that fosters conversation and allows children with incarcerated parents to see themselves represented in literature, and author of the soon to be released Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents in Schools order your copy HERE. Thank you Whitney for being a champion of children of incarcerated parents in schools!
Sunovia Scudder
Sunovia is a Co-Founder of the Rowan University Youth Empowerment Program. Students at Rowan affected by the incarceration of a parent meet regularly to provide each other with peer support and mentoring. The group hosts social and educational events, and participates in research efforts to bring attention to the issues and challenges confronting children of incarcerated parents/guardians. Thank you Sunovia for being a champion of children of incarcerated parents in schools!
Vivett Dukes
Vivett is the Deputy Director of Organizing for the National Parents Union and was an advocate for children of incarcerated parents in her former role as a teacher. Thank you Vivett for being a Champion for children of incarcerated parents in schools!