The Geneva College Master of Counseling Program is partnering with the Caring Place this year to bring awareness of childhood grief to Geneva’s campus to recognize Childhood Grief Awareness Day on November 19. All week the students and faculty of the Master’s in Counseling Program will be sharing vital information, and they will increase understanding and promote dialogue by hosting a table outside of the Student Center campus on Wednesday, November 18 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

There are 1 million children under the age of 18 who live in a single parent house because they have lost one parent, and 2 million children under 18 who have lost both parents. Members of Geneva’s Master of Counseling Program point out that children process grief differently and need special care to deal with personal loss. They reference a quote from Fred Rogers that is particularly appropriate, “In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and with our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.”

Children's Grief Awareness Day seeks to bring attention to the fact that support can make all the difference in the life of a grieving child. In 2008, the Highmark Caring Place in Pittsburgh created an international observance of Grief Awareness Day. It is observed every year on the third Thursday in November (the Thursday before the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving). The Thanksgiving and Christmas season is can be an especially difficult time after a death, so it’s a particularly appropriate time to focus on support for grieving children.

Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva’s programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva has one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).