Dear Colleagues and Friends,
As we begin September, we are in a place that feels all too familiar: Recovering from yet another school shooting. There have been 44 school shootings in the United States that have resulted in casualties so far this year. Each one has been crippling to witness, but last week’s act of violence felt especially devastating. The Annunciation Catholic School community had gathered in a house of worship, a space meant for comfort and healing, to celebrate its children at the start of a school year full of promise. With heartbreaking irony, their theme for 2025–26 is “a future filled with hope.”
For too many children, hope and possibility can already feel out of reach, and incidents like this can further strip away their innocence. Nurturing and protecting that hope—especially in times like these—remains one of the most profound and powerful things we can offer.
In 2009, black scholar Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade (with a nod to American rapper and actor Tupac Shakur) wrote: “Note to educators: Hope required when growing roses in concrete.” He distinguishes between, “hokey and mythical hope” that are inauthentic and offer false promises and, “critical, material, Socratic, and audacious hope” that are grounded in the real world and demand action.
One of our core values at Power of Place is “Holding the Hope.” By that, we acknowledge that the struggle is real but should not define us. Hope is the renewable energy source that keeps us moving forward.
It is the responsibility of educators to hold the hope for young people every day, even when – especially when – it feels hardest to sustain. When students struggle to see beyond the personal and communal stressors facing them, it is the educator’s job to lend students their hope. It is an embrace of sorts, a way to keep them close and gently nudge them toward the truth that they can shape a bright future for themselves.
When teachers see and encourage the development of students’ capabilities, students feel empowered. When students feel empowered, they can take chances, engage in productive struggle without fear of failure or humiliation, and participate more fully in their learning.
Holding the hope for students is no small task, and can take its toll on educators. At Power of Place, we are here to return the favor, and hold the hope on your behalf. Our “third space” is here so you can share stories, learn deeply, and experiment freely in a community that recognizes the complexity of teaching and learning, and the need to keep growing as professionals.
It is our privilege to hold this space for you throughout each year, create both big and small opportunities for you to invest in your own learning and development, and rediscover some of your own hope. Please check our PoP calendar regularly for news and details about upcoming learning experiences. We’ll be there for you.
With warmth and appreciation,
Jane
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