Jerry Blackburn, M.Ed., SUDP

Good luck Voyager.

Voyager 1 is so far away from Earth that a single message now takes almost an entire day to reach it.

Launched by NASA in 1977, the spacecraft has traveled farther than any human-made object ever created. After nearly five decades in space, Voyager 1 is now drifting through interstellar space — the mysterious region beyond our solar system where no spacecraft had ever gone before.

The probe is currently more than 24 billion kilometers from Earth, silently moving through the darkness between the stars while continuing to send scientific data back to humanity.

But time is running out.

Voyager’s power supply has been slowly fading for years, leaving only two science instruments still operating. To keep the legendary spacecraft alive, NASA engineers are preparing an extremely risky procedure known as the “Big Bang.”

The operation aims to conserve the probe’s remaining energy and possibly extend its mission into the 2030s. But because Voyager is so incredibly distant, engineers must wait nearly 46 hours just to know whether a single command worked.

If the attempt fails, humanity could permanently lose contact with the most distant explorer ever built.

Yet even after almost 50 years, Voyager 1 continues its lonely journey beyond the planets — carrying humanity’s presence farther into the universe than anything else in history.

Please help us spread the word!

✨We are going LIVE✨

Join us for Lunch Bunch 🍽️ LIVE with Parenting Upstream co-founders
Marcelle Waldman & Jerry Blackburn

Raising Resilient Kids: Rethinking Youth Development

🗓 June 1st ⏰ 12:00–1:00pm PST
For parents, caregivers, and educators alike! 🤍

Resilience isn’t built in perfect conditions, it’s shaped through challenge. In a world where many kids are unintentionally shielded from discomfort, we have an opportunity to shift that.

In this conversation, we will explore how allowing kids to stumble, try again, and keep going helps build confidence, independence, and the ability to navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs.

Growth doesn’t come from avoiding hard things… it comes from moving through them.

Come learn, connect, and grow with us.
🔗 Visit parentingupstream.com to register today!

✨ Zoom details will be sent after registration

So grateful for the opportunity to spend the day with the amazing staff at Encompass NW.

Last Friday, Encompass staff gathered at beautiful North Fork Farm Events for our spring All-Staff Meeting. In addition to our stunning backdrop, we enjoyed a time of thoughtful discussion as Jerry Blackburn, M.Ed., SUDP, led us through part two of his Rooted and Wings staff development series, Relationship-centered connection for nonprofit teams. As always, we are so grateful for this intentional time of reflection, learning, and collaboration that fuels our work with children and families. ❤

Join us and please share with your community.

Let's fill the room!

💙 🩵 Help us fill the room! 🩵 💙

Please share with your community!

Helping Kids Shine in a World Full of Challenges —

A FREE event for parents and caregivers to children of all ages. Connect, learn, and gather practical strategies for supporting youth.

Drop in for:

Mini‑workshops

Meet local partners

Explore community resources

Tuesday, March 31 • 6–8 p.m. at the Together Center in Redmond (Doors open at 5:30 for connection and light refreshments)

Help us plan by registering at: https://www.parentingupstream.com/events

This is a FREE community event.

Childcare is available with registration.

Visit with a variety of community resource providers. LightHeart Mental Health, Friends of Youth, Changes Parent Support Network - public, EvergreenHealth, and more!

Brought to you by your friends at NAMI Eastside, PEPS for Parents and Parenting Upstream!

A nice/short overview of what does not work in prevention!

"During the session, Reed walked through several popular approaches that research shows are ineffective. One-time school assemblies, personal testimonies, mock car crashes, and “drunk” goggles may be memorable and easy to organize, but they have little to no lasting effect. Some approaches, like the mock car crashes, can be traumatizing, and others, like the drunk goggles, can unintentionally increase curiosity about substance use. Fear-based messaging and exaggerated claims about how “everyone is using” can also backfire, especially when young people’s real-life experiences don’t match what they’re being told."

What Doesn’t Work in Prevention | CADCA CADCA represents over 5,000 community coalitions that involve individuals from key sectors including schools, law enforcement, youth, parents, healthcare, media, tribal communities and others

Marcelle and I are so excited to be joining our community partners for this event. Please join us to connect and collaborate and share with your friends and colleagues.

PEPS for Parents NAMI Eastside

✨Join us✨
Helping Kids Shine in a World Full of Challenges —
a FREE event for parents and caregivers to children of all ages. Connect, learn, and gather practical strategies for supporting your youth.

Drop in for:
✅mini‑workshops
✅meet local partners
✅explore community resources

Tuesday, March 31 • 6–8 p.m. at the Together Center in Redmond (Doors open at 5:30 for connection and light refreshments)

This is a FREE community event.
Childcare is available with registration.
Visit with a variety of community resource providers.

Brought to you by your friends at , - Parenting Adolescents and Teens Program and

Good morning friends and colleagues,

I have a short-term contract opportunity that I would like to share.
I am one of three Faculty members at Seattle University, teaching group counseling in spring quarter. Part of this course requires that students participate in 10 hours of group process outside of the general course work.

We are looking for 3 fully licensed MH clinicians to facilitate 2 hour, in-person, process groups for 5 weeks, 7-9 p.m., starting Wed. April 29th. Compensation for the 5 weeks is $1400.00

Please message me if you are interested or have questions.

If you know me you know I get excited for March and the publication of new Healthy Youth Survey Data! I love helping school districts, organizations and communities understand the insights while generating strategies of response.

The Healthy Youth Survey offers a powerful window into both the challenges young people face and the strengths already present in your community. By bringing together parents, educators, and local advocates, our collaboration transforms data into shared understanding, aligned priorities, and meaningful action. Together, we’ll identify emerging needs, elevate community assets, and spark momentum toward effective, student‑centered change.

Let's start this collaboration today!

Join us for coffee! 🤣🤣🤣

Join us at the table for Episode 2, Rethinking Resilience.

Thanks for joining the conversation!

Resilience, by most definitions, emerges only in the face of adversity. Yet we’re living in a “snowplow generation,” where many young people are unintentionally shielded from the very experiences that will help them thrive.

Allowing young people to stumble, get back up, brush themselves off, and keep going is essential. These moments build the confidence and tolerance for adversity they’ll rely on throughout their lives. And as the adults in their world, we can support this growth by celebrating effort, persistence, and hard work—rather than focusing our praise solely on the final product.

Find our podcast, Parenting Upstream, on Spotify and Apple Podcast.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7uGFawbd4aNmfpJCwGMgTn

So excited to be adding to this series. Let's connect and shape your team's success for 2026 and beyond.