RAISING LUMINARIES

ashia ray

Hi, I’m Ashia, founder & Head Custodian of Infodumpery for Raising Luminaries.

I create free tool kits to help overworked caregivers ignite the next generation of leaders.

ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

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Get free monthly email notifications when I publish new Family Action Toolkits

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JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

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Posts may contain affiliate links and  sponsorships, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

AFFILIATE POLICY

PARTNERS IN CAHOOTS

TOPICS

CONTACT

Sponsor or Volunteer to work with me on a toolkit and boost an issue important to you.

You’re welcome to share & boost this toolkit, with attribution to Raising Luminaries.

problem solving maze
Let's explore

Tenacity & Resilience

Tenacity - working hard even when we face challenges and our project isn't fun anymore.

Resilience - Choosing to try again even after we have failed.

SMASH THE KYRIARCHY

Why Act Now?

As we learn about injustice, challenging issues, and hardship, we're going to face setbacks and failure. By staying tenacious and resilient, we can keep working together toward the future we want.

Resilience Toolkit for Activist Kids

Daring Greatly & Failing Spectacularly

If we don't care about an issue, we won't take action. Kids have the right to choose curiosity-provoking resources that connect with our values and abilities.

1. SPARK CURIOSITY

Engage

Learn how this issue impacts us and the people we care about.

2. ASK QUESTIONS

Discuss

Process with adults who are willing to be honest and challenge our assumptions.

3. SET INTENTIONS

Reflect

Transform what we've learned into hands-on creativity.

4. CREATE CHANGE

Act

Step into our power with kid-friendly acts of service.

STEP 1: 5 MINUTES

Spark Curiosity: Pick One Story

Which stories and videos make you interested in learning more about this issue?

Which would you recommend to other kids? Add your own suggestions in the comments below.

Ages 6 months+

How We Eat

CHOSEN BY KYRIARCHY-SMASHING KIDS

Best Kids Books on Resilience

STEP 2: 10 MINUTES

Make It Personal: Ask Questions

Ask & answer these questions with an adult who you trust to be honest with you..

When...

When have you failed at something you tried your best at?

Who...

What setbacks did our ancestors and activist elders face when fighting for the rights we have today?

How did they stay resilient?

How...

What opportunities and resources* do we have that makes it easier for us to recover from setbacks?

How would our lives be different if we didn't have these safety nets?

father daughter tea party
mother lifting child
family eating together

*How to talk about privilege with kids: Acknowledging our opportunities and resources (and what to do about it)

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Tackle hard conversations with your kids
- one story at a time

Subscribe for Ignition Notes & get guided family discussions & toolkit updates each month.

STEP 3: USE WHAT YOU HAVE

From Theory To Real-World: Creative Reflection

Time to move from theory to reality. Use creative play to integrate what we've learned, take responsibility, and own what's within our control.

Samantha Cotterill's Feeling better printable poster
Toddlers & Pre-K

It Was Supposed To Be Sunny

Practice coping strategies for kids feeling frustrated, overwhelmed & upset.

Find more resources featuring #OwnVoices neurodiversity-friendly resources and kids books on Samantha Cotterill's website.

Read It Was Supposed To Be Sunny (ages 2.5+)

Elementary

The Most Magnificient Thing (Retold)

Using a children's book on resilience, create a new way of telling this story and record your own spin on it like the students at Elmwood School in Ottowa.

Elementary+

Make Your Own Daruma Doll

Create your own Daruma doll & discuss how the Japanese proverb 'Fall down 7 times, get up 8' has impacted Japanese American culture and resilience from WWII internment through modern-day anti-Asian racism.

RAISING LUMINARIES

ashia ray

Hi, I’m Ashia, founder & Head Custodian of Infodumpery for Raising Luminaries.

I create free tool kits to help overworked caregivers ignite the next generation of leaders.

ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

STAY IN TOUCH

Get free monthly email notifications when I publish new Family Action Toolkits

FREE STUFF

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

SHOP

Posts may contain affiliate links and  sponsorships, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

AFFILIATE POLICY

PARTNERS IN CAHOOTS

TOPICS

CONTACT

Sponsor or Volunteer to work with me on a toolkit and boost an issue important to you.

You’re welcome to share & boost this toolkit, with attribution to Raising Luminaries.

IT'S STILL OKAY TO LAUGH

Hard conversations with humor & joy

Every month the Luminary Braintrust tackles a new member challenge to make talking about social justice easier in real life.

STEP 4: ASSESS YOUR CAPACITY

Step Into Your Power: Take Action

Feeling overwhelmed? Not sure how to start?

Whether it's time, money, or influence - we all have something we can share to change the world.

if you have $15

Invest in Indigenous Youth Resilience

The Medicine Wheels Youth Initiative empowers Indigenous youth who face extreme poverty and high rates of suicide and chronic addiction.

if you have 10 minutes

Support A Friend

Ask a friend: What does support look like for you when you're facing hardship?

Create a check-in schedule you're both comfortable with, and a quick way to show you're ready to listen (like texting each other cute cat gifs).

If you have 5 friends

Amplify & Boost

Share this toolkit with 5 friends who would appreciate your help tackling these topics as a family.

DIG DEEPER

Bonus Resources

Share what worked for your family (and what didn't).

Add the resources you suggest in the comments below to help families like yours.

PODCAST

Keeping Our Wits

How to keep political horrors from breaking us: Reorienting ourselves toward core values & how to self-regulate before we get back in the fray.

WORKSHOP

Creating Brave Spaces

How to incorporate trauma-informed practices into story-time so kids can feel safe discussing their challenges.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Failure Partaaay

Join the Luminary Braintrust for our weekly Failure Parties, where we take responsibility for our flops and celebrate what we've learned.

TRAINING

Resilience Workshop

Learn practices to recover quickly when we’re knocked down by the world in this 1-hour workshop via Right To Be.

Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

Raising Luminaries reduces the workload on overworked caregivers
igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders

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free resources

to reduce your workload

kid-tested toolkits spark connection with your kids, without the confusion & busywork of searching for resources.

0 +
hours saved

per toolkit

Each toolkit condenses over 41 hours of research, testing & outreach into a simple guide to enjoy with your kids.

0
$15 donations needed

to keep it up

Membership dues cover my costs & labor - keeping these resources free for families who can't afford a paywall

family jumping on bed

Ashia (they/them or she/her)

I’m an Autistic, multiracial (Chinese/Irish) 2nd-generation settler raising two children alongside my partner on the homelands of the Wampanoag and Massachusett people. My goal with Raising Luminaries is to collaborate with families and educators in raising the next generation of kind & courageous leaders, so we can all smash the kyriarchy together.

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Help me keep these resources free & accessible for all

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RAISING LUMINARIES

ashia ray

Hi, I’m Ashia, founder & Head Custodian of Infodumpery for Raising Luminaries.

I create free tool kits to help overworked caregivers ignite the next generation of leaders.

ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

STAY IN TOUCH

Get free monthly email notifications when I publish new Family Action Toolkits

FREE STUFF

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

SHOP

Posts may contain affiliate links and  sponsorships, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

AFFILIATE POLICY

PARTNERS IN CAHOOTS

TOPICS

CONTACT

Sponsor or Volunteer to work with me on a toolkit and boost an issue important to you.

You’re welcome to share & boost this toolkit, with attribution to Raising Luminaries.

Raising Luminaries is anchored in the land of the Wampanoag & Massachusett People.
Support Wôpanâak early childhood education here.

©2023 Ashia Ray of Raising Luminaries™. All rights reserved.

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Photographs via Unsplash & Illustrations via Storyset, used with permission.

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