In this episode of the Inspire Shasta podcast, we dive into the transformative power of hope with Tara Schwerdt, School Counselor Coordinator for the Shasta County Office of Education, and Stephanie Miller, School Counselor at Igo Ono and Shasta Elementary Schools. Stephanie was recently honored as the Shasta County School Counselor of the Year for her work in supporting students through hope-centered interventions.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Science of Hope: Tara Schwerdt explains how hope can be measured and taught, based on the work of Dr. Chan Hellman.
• Hope in Schools: How Shasta County educators are implementing hope-based interventions to support students, staff, and the broader community.
• Resilience Through Adversity: Stephanie shares her personal experiences working with students affected by major crises, including the Carr and Zogg Fires, and the impact of hope-focused strategies in rebuilding their sense of agency and well-being.
• Hope Small Groups: A deep dive into how small group counseling helps students set and achieve meaningful goals, improve academic performance, and develop resilience.
• Measuring Impact: How hope scores correlate with attendance, academic success, and behavioral improvements.
• Expanding the Work: The growing adoption of hope-based frameworks across Shasta County and nationally, including an upcoming publication in a national school counseling journal.

Notable Quotes:
🗣️ “The opposite of hope is apathy. If we want to support students and educators, we must foster hope.”
🗣️ “Life is a series of goals. The key is knowing how to navigate towards them with hope and resilience.”

Resources Mentioned:
📚 Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life – Dr. Chan Hellman

Connect with Us:
💡 Interested in bringing hope-based initiatives to your school or community? Reach out to Tara Schwerdt (tschwerdt@shastacoe.org) and Stephanie Miller (smiller@rsdnmp.org).
🎙️ Subscribe to Inspire Shasta for more stories of hope and transformation in our community!

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