On behalf of the Illinois Resource Center, our thoughts are with all of the members of our school communities impacted by the devastating violence over the past few weeks in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Our hearts are heavy as we witness all of this grief, and we want our educators who are also scared and grieving to know – you are not alone, we see you. 

Locally, we grieve with and for the family, friends and the Plainfield community following the horrific murder of six-year-old Wadea al-Fayoume. A fundraiser to support Wadea’s family can be found here.

Our vision for the world is one where all children are able to thrive in safety, freedom and dignity; and can learn and grow in environments where they are affirmed and celebrated, no matter their religion, culture or national origin. We condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab discrimination in our schools and communities, and urge our partners to educate themselves on how to affirm and support students and staff who may be dealing with the uptick in hateful rhetoric and incidents. 

Below, we have compiled some resources for discussing what is happening in the region with your students, and helping care for and process with students during overwhelming and scary current events. We hope to continue to be a resource to our community in this challenging time; please take care of yourselves and each other. 

Anti-Bias Resources:

For Classroom Discussion: 

For Supporting Students During Traumatic News Events:

Media Literacy Resources: