MOORHEAD—Since the outbreak of COVID-19, childhood developmental issues have been on the rise.
On Sept. 18, Concordia College hosted its annual Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium. The theme of the symposium was “Flourishing Futures: Nurturing Children for Civic Engagement,” focusing on youth development. The event featured a plethora of organizations and keynote speakers discussing their experiences on the topic.
At 8:45 a.m., there was a student seminar for all FYS 110 students followed by the opening plenary session hosted by the Student Nurse Association.
Child-Centric Society
Opening keynote speaker, Anya Kamenetz, author of the book “The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, and Where We Go Now,” discussed the negative impacts of COVID-19 on children.
“We can get a lot out of thinking about what is good for young people is good for the whole society,” Kamenetz said.
Kamenetz brought up the idea of a child-centric society, where needs are centered around the needs of children rather than the needs of the adults within a family unit.
Focusing on a child-centric society would give children joy, stability, health, support, rest, education and accessibility, according to Kamenetz. Within a child-centric society, this would also cater to a trans-generational focused lens.
Kamenetz said focusing on a trans-generational lens would help with approaching challenges in society from the lens of young people, who would be most affected by the challenges.
On top of the keynote speech by Kamenetz, there was a vast majority of concurrent sessions which discussed youth athletics, mental health, ADHD inclusion and the impact of school-related gun violence.
Gun Violence
Pediatrician and medical educator Chris Tiongson, M.D., hosted the concurrent session titled “Gun Violence: A Public Health Crisis.” In the session, Tiongson discussed the access to guns that Americans have, and the impacts that access has on gun violence in the country.
Tiongson mentioned that this year, for the first time, the Surgeon General issued firearm violence a public health crisis in America. Tiongson went on to describe that firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in the United States, with 4,603 children dying at the hands of firearms in 2022.
Tiongson discussed the societal impacts that guns have had on America, such as the accumulation of trauma on behalf of not only victims but family members and citizens of the country.
According to Tiongson, America needs to treat gun violence as it would any other public health crisis. He presented the example that the U.S. has taken many steps to prevent motor vehicle accidents, through manufacturing and purchasing laws, that could also apply to decreasing firearm deaths.
Tiongson said the best way to prevent deaths by firearms is to adhere to the acronym SMART, which was published by the organization Everytown.
SMART stands for:
S – secure all guns in your home and vehicle.
M – model responsible behavior.
A – ask about unsecured guns in other homes.
R – recognize the role of guns in suicide.
T – tell your peers to be SMART.
Associate Professor at Concordia College, Jane Indergaard, gave a concurrent session titled “Community Catalysts: Helping Children with ADHD to Flourish.” In her presentation, Indergaard detailed the seen and unseen struggles of people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and ways in which society can help them succeed.
Indergaard described ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests itself in many different ways. She noted a few trademark symptoms of the disorder pointing out impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention.
However, in females, who are often not diagnosed with ADHD, these symptoms are more likely to manifest through perfectionism, anxiety and depression.
According to Indergaard, ADHD is often not taken as seriously as it should be, given that ADHD is a lifelong disorder that is the most frequently recognized psychiatric disorder in children
However, Indergaard presented to support those who live with ADHD.
The first step, Indergaard said, is educating oneself about ADHD. She encourages this for several reasons, the first being the disorder’s prevalence.
In her presentation she mentioned, that ADHD is the most prevalent outpatient mental illness, with seven million children having been diagnosed in the U.S. Knowing the impacts ADHD has on one’s life allows for more specialized assistance and increased understanding. Addressing the prevailing myths and misconceptions about ADHS, alongside early identification and support can significantly impact children’s learning and lives.
Juvenile Detention Facilities
Dr. Michelle Lelwica, professor of Religion at Concordia College, discusses the impact that she has observed of children within juvenile detention facilities in the Fargo-Moorhead area in her keynote session, “Hurting Kids: What Incarcerated Youth are teaching me about Whiteness, Compassion, Accountability, and Healing.”
Lelwica discussed the conversations that she had with incarcerated youth and how they have taught her the true values of compassion, accountability, and healing. The book explores the impact of religion, mainly American Christianity, on the juvenile justice system.
Lelwica teaches REL 379, Religion Race and Social Justice. Within this class, there is a PEAK component where students also visit the youth that are similar to what Lelwica first discovered in 2018. The aspect that inspired the integrated course comes from the book “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson.
“You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance,” Stevenson wrote. “You have to get close.”
Nonprofit connections to youth
In a similar keynote hosted by Samantha Rogstad, Frederick Edwards, J’Neil Gibson and Jadyn Chakua,
The four discussed collective thinking in a nonprofit setting that deals with youth across the state of North Dakota. Their goal: to connect with youth at a personal level.
“We have to appreciate the different ways people think,” Edward’s said. “And how other people feel.”
They have connected with youth by thinking scientifically about their thought processes, using the ideas of light, mass, frequency, and energy.
“The big thing about the energy we try to use is to create a space of belonging,” Rogstad said. “How can we endgame youth? How to keep them engaged? You have youth coming into our space feeling like they can be themselves because of the energy we bring in.”
Panel Discussion
The symposium ended with a panel discussion with many leaders of youth-serving organizations within the community. Including Mary Jean Dehne, the executive director of Legacy Children’s Foundation, Jennifer Soupir-Fremstad, assistant director of human capital of Fargo Public Schools, Andrea Richards, the director of behavior health of West Fargo Public Schools, Christ Tiongson, M.D. and J’Neil Gibson, founder of Beyond the Game and co-director of Umoja Inc.
Though the annual symposium is wrapped up, there are more opportunities to engage within the community throughout the year.
One may get involved with a non-profit that they visited during a concurrent session or continue to educate themselves, so the future continues to flourish.
The 2025 Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium schedule or dates have not been announced at the time of publication.
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