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Do-It-Yourself FAST Activities at Home (Actividades de FAST en Casa)
Activities traditionally conducted during the FAST Program can be adapted at home during this period of social distancing and home quarantine. All of these activities are research-based and designed to promote family strengthening and bonding. We invite you to share your experience incorporating FAST activities into your life at home, along with any other relevant… READ MORE →
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FAST Values in the time of the coronavirus pandemic
Written by Director of Research & Innovation Dr. Robyn Sperling In this time of great uncertainty, we are all, understandably, stressed and confused. As we navigate our way through a very difficult period, there are many resources we can turn to for support. From community resources for food assistance to online resources for activities to… READ MORE →
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COVID-19 Update
To our FAST community: Families & Schools Together (FAST) is diligently monitoring the rapidly changing conditions of the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) from our international office in Madison, WI. We value the health, safety, and well-being of our children, families, partners, staff, and community, and we understand that many of our partner organizations are… READ MORE →
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A tradition of involvement at Focus on Community
Focus on Community in Racine, Wisconsin, is a nonprofit substance abuse prevention agency with a mission “to unite our community in an effort to prevent substance abuse and inspire healthy choices.” Through a variety of research-based and model programs, Focus teaches important life skills to youth and families and provides them with the tools needed to… READ MORE →
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FAST at the core of One City Schools’ commitment to supporting families
Within three weeks of starting her position as Director of Family & Community Initiatives at One City Schools in Madison, Wisconsin, Ms. Marilyn Ruffin was on a flight to Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the 2017 FAST® Training of Trainers conference – the FAST Program was to be one of the main components of her new job. Despite… READ MORE →
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A glimpse of FAST in Brazil
The FAST® Program in Tremembé, the first and only city in Brazil to offer FAST, is bringing parents and schools together for the future of the child, according to Cristiana Berthoud, Secretary of Education. “I used to say that parents only exist outside the gates. They are the school community; they belong to it but don’t… READ MORE →
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Families & Schools Together welcomes new Executive Director
Families & Schools Together, Inc. is extremely pleased to welcome our new Executive Director, Toni K. Rivera Joachin. Toni K. Rivera Joachin has over 24 years of non-profit management experience and expertise working with underserved populations, including children and families, and advocating for social justice and self-sufficiency across a variety of non-profit sectors. As a… READ MORE →
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The FAST Program’s history of promoting school safety
Written by FAST Founder Dr. Lynn McDonald in collaboration with FAST. School safety in America is an urgent problem requiring complex solutions. While the FAST® Program cannot solve this issue, FAST is able to promote a safer school environment by collaboratively engaging parents, schools, community agencies and law enforcement– and it has been doing so… READ MORE →
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FAST as a substance abuse prevention strategy
Written by Dr. Lynn McDonald in collaboration with FAST. Among the range of interventions needed to address the opioid and drug abuse crisis, community-based strategies and two-generational, whole-family preventions which build protective factors of resilience are worth investment. Protective factors, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), are characteristics that reduce the likelihood… READ MORE →
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Center for the Study of Social Policy: Making the Link (with the Strengthening Families framework)
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) featured the FAST® Program in their Making the Link series, connecting the program to the Strengthening Families™ framework. Strengthening Families is a “research-informed approach” that strives to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families by building five protective factors: Parental resilience Social connections Knowledge of parenting… READ MORE →
