5 Servings of Education: We Can't Have One Without the Others.

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

• Damaris Garcia, Webster UniversityFollow
• Amy Pouncy, Webster UniversityFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Webster University

First Presenter’s Email Address

damarisgarcia7111@gmail.com

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Damaris Garcia, MBA, MS is a U.S. Amry Veteran, Mother, and Entrepreneur. She graduated from Webster University with her MBA and Masters in HR Management and is currently working on her Doctorates in Transformative Learning at Webster University. She has a drive to affect positive change in the lives of minorities, the underserved and the voiceless.

Second Presenter's Institution

Webster University

Second Presenter’s Email Address

pouncyam@webster.edu

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Amy Pouncy, Ed.D., is a senior learning and development leader with over 15 years of experience driving strategic talent enablement initiatives across global organizations. Holding multiple advanced degrees in education, leadership, and human resources from Webster University, she brings a deeply informed, evidence-based approach to learning design and digital transformation.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal on behalf of the presenter(s)

Location

Ballroom D

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

This proposal highlights the urgent and relevant challenges impacting the 5Hs—Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and Home—while also offering practical, research-based solutions to support children who are at risk due to poverty and other adverse conditions in underserved communities.

Brief Program Description

Just as a balanced meal nourishes the body, a holistic approach to education nurtures the whole child. In our session, Five Servings of Education, we’ll examine current challenges and highlight real-world solutions grounded in the 5Hs, Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and Home, focusing on the critical time of children’s development from kindergarten –3rd grade the foundation for lifelong development and well-being.

Summary

Just as a balanced meal nourishes a child’s body, a holistic approach to education nurtures the potential of the whole child. In our session, “Five Servings to a Child’s Success,” we provide a thoughtfully designed experience based on the core idea that children flourish when their Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and Home are intentionally supported, especially during the critical early years from kindergarten through third grade.

Drawing on ethnographic methodology, we highlight the lived experiences of children, families, and educators as they navigate systems marked by inequity, poverty, and trauma. This approach centers on the voices of those most impacted, offering rich, real-world insights into how systemic challenges and community strengths intersect. Through storytelling, case examples, and research-based practices, we bring data to life, emphasizing not only what needs to change but also how it can be done.

In a format that is as nourishing as it is practical, we will “serve up” five essential courses of learning:

· Head – Cultivating academic growth, critical thinking, and student leadership by integrating culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate instruction.

· Heart – Strengthening emotional resilience, empathy, and social connection through trauma-informed, relationship-rich environments.

· Hands – Promoting physical safety and proactive violence prevention strategies that create secure, respectful school climates.

· Health – Addressing the mental and physical well-being of children by embedding wellness practices and health supports within the school day.

· Home – Building bridges between school, family, and community to foster collaboration, trust, and sustainable engagement.

Participants will gain a comprehensive framework, rooted in both research and ethnographic evidence, which respects the cultural, emotional, and social aspects of learning. You will leave with a full plate—and a strong toolkit—of practical insights and strategies designed to empower all children, particularly those facing structural and historical challenges.

Join us as we explore how to feed not just minds, but whole lives.

Evidence

References

Arundel, K. (2023). 6 actions for closing racial gaps in schools | K-12 Dive.

Basch, C. E. (2011). Healthier Students Are Better Learners: A Missing Link in School Reforms to Close the Achievement Gap. Journal of School Health, 81(10), 593–598. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00632.x

Children’s Defense Fund. (2025). CDF Freedom Schools®. Retrieved from the Children’s Defense Fund website.

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2021, June 3). Building Back Better: Using P-3 Strategies That Support the Whole Child [Webinar]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaYT20hv7wc

Darling-Hammond, L., & Cook-Harvey, C. M. (2018). Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success. Learning Policy Institute.

Francois, S., Wu, K., Doe, E., Tucker, A., & Theall, K. (2023). The Influence of Racial Violence in Neighbors and Schools on the Psycho-Behavioral Outcomes in Adolescence. Research in Human Development, 20(1–2), 48–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2023.2171694

Georgia Southern University. (2025). Creating trauma-informed schools in Atlanta Public Schools: A case study of South Atlanta High School [Conference session]. National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2025/2025/87/

Hale, J. (2011). The student as a force for social change: The Mississippi Freedom Schools and student engagement. Journal of African American History, 96(3), 325–347. https://doi.org/10.5323/jafriamerhist.96.3.0325

Mapp, K. L., & Henderson, A. T. (2015). Prepared educators for family and community engagement. Sage.

Perlstein, D. (1990). Teaching Freedom: SNCC and the Creation of the Mississippi Freedom Schools. JSTOR.

Portes, P. R. (2005). A cultural approach to establishing equity and closing the educational achievement gap. Perspectives on Urban Education, 5(2).

Scholastic & FACE (Families and Communities Engaged). (2013). Compendium: Family and community engagement research. Scholastic Education.

Temple, J. A., Ou, S.-R., & Reynolds, A. J. (2022). Closing achievement gaps through preschool-to-third-grade programs. Frontiers in Education, 7, 871973.

Tuchinda, N. (n.d.). Disproportionate School Brutality Upon Black Children. https://perma.cc/4RYU-86KE]

WS Freedom Schools. (2025). Family engagement. Retrieved from WS Freedom Schools website.

Wang, W., Xiao, J., Li, W., & Yao, J. (2022). How School Climate Affects the Development of the Social and Emotional Skills of Underprivileged-Background Students—An Empirical Study Based on the SSES2019 Data. Children, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/children9121812

Learning Objective 1

Participants will gain a comprehensive framework, rooted in both research and ethnographic evidence, which respects the cultural, emotional, and social aspects of learning.

Learning Objective 2

You will leave with a full plate and a strong toolkit of practical insights and strategies designed to empower all children, particularly those facing structural and historical challenges.

Learning Objective 3

participants will collaboratively analyze current school practices and challenges related to the 5Hs, Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and Home, and develop a targeted, feasible action plan for implementing or enhancing one area of support using real-world examples and evidence-informed strategies.

Keyword Descriptors

Trauma informed, Ethnography, culturally responsive, resilience, wraparound services, identity, community partnerships, socioeconomic barriers, school climate, educational equity

Presentation Year

2026

Start Date

3-3-2026 1:00 PM

End Date

3-3-2026 2:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Garcia, Damaris and Pouncy, Amy, "5 Servings of Education: We Can't Have One Without the Others." (2026). National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. 47.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2026/2026/47