Cruise Season Cancelation
By Dena Lythgoe, Senior Account Executive & Partner
Alaska offers majestic mountains, abundant wildlife, and outdoor adventures which bring tourists from all over the world primarily by cruise ship. In 2019, two times the population of Alaska residents came to Alaska on a cruise ship. In 2020 all cruising was put to a screeching halt due to COVID causing communities dependent on tourism to miss out on 1.8mm travelers. The cancelled cruise season wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of those dependent on the tourism season in many rural communities. Read the latest fact finding economic impact report and how the cruise industry, or lack thereof, has impacted the Pacific Northwest.
- Published in Blog
How to Tell if Distance Learning Is Working for Your Kid
By Casey Kirkeby, Strategy Consultant
2020 is a crazy time to be alive. We’re dealing with a pandemic, politics, economic uncertainties, and so much more. This article hit home for me because I have a kid in school and, like many others, we are doing distance learning. My son is going to be 8 years old and is in 2nd grade and when a child is younger, you need to spend more time with them to make sure they understand the lesson.
Pre-pandemic, teachers, who I deeply admire, were able to build out creative curriculums and bring energy to their classroom every day, in person. This has changed and now parents need to step up to make sure their children understand their homework, are completing lessons, and know how to send documents in PDF format to their teacher. How can we, the parents, make sure that this is effective? How will we know if our child is learning anything this year?
Don’t be alarmed folks because after reading through this article, I felt a little better about the current arrangement and how I can be more proactive for my child in this digital learning environment.
- Published in Blog
A Layman’s Guide for When Sh!t Hits the Fan
By Jennifer Outcelt, Account Specialist
I think we can all agree that this year has been comprised of many fans, and many propelled sh!ts. It sucks, and we are all struggling to wipe ourselves clean. Many of us are now struggling in a way that feels SO unfamiliar that it’s difficult to identify how we feel and what we should do about it. While attempting to wade through my own splattered muck, I was given this article to read by someone well adept at fostering self-care.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/routes-of-safety-model
It’s a simple fact; you are now experiencing your life with more trauma than you did before. You have been distanced from the people you share a community with and have probably felt a decline in the safety you previously took for granted. This article outlines the various “Routes of Safety” to help us “understand how we get to and access safety.” It mirrors the construction of the Love Languages model, asserting that not all self-care looks the same. This tool helped guide my own path to feeling safe in my new environment. It helped my needs feel less abstract and more achievable. So stand up, wipe yourself off, and grab an umbrella; it’s time to take care of you.
- Published in Blog
Stress Is a Mess, it Plays to be Board
By Bailey Penrose, Employer Services Account Manager
I’ve been fighting heartburn the last few days (weeks, months, etc.) Stress has been a constant, and inconsiderate, guest lately. Quite possibly most of us have had to reach liberally for the Tums, Rolaids, or stomach soother of choice this year.
As we get ready to head indoors for the winter, why not consider a few fun games to while away the hours and get that stress to tone it down for a while?
Games for Friendly Competition
Cooperative Games
Virtual Games
Games to Play Solo
- Published in Blog
