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Good Grief, St. Thomas

Nov. 11-14, 2024

This weeklong event will explore grief literacy, culminating in a keynote speech by renowned grief scholar, Dr. Tashel Bordere. All are welcome.

Everybody grieves. It is part of the human experience. Yet we all struggle with what to do or say in the face of grief.

Grief literacy is a global movement designed to increase public awareness and understanding of grief as a normal response to loss and encourage relevant support. We are joining this movement with the launching of Good Grief, St. Thomas! All are welcome.

View the schedule below (registration links included).

Questions? Contact Social Work Program Director Melissa Lundquist, Ph.D., or Family Studies Program Director Audra Nuru, Ph.D.

Schedule

Nov. 11-14, 2024

Read more about each day below. Registration links are included.

10-4 p.m.
Grief Literacy table: Dorsey Way, 2nd floor, Anderson Student Center
Memorial Tattoo Project: Scooters, 1st floor, Anderson Student Center
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus

Free to participate

Today we take our first steps in building a compassionate community! As we immerse ourselves in art and conversation we’ll introduce concepts of grief literacy. We invite students, faculty and staff to stop by our table in Dorsey Way to share knowledge, approaches, and values of the multidimensional experience of loss. Then, join us in Scooters where we will use photography to create a Memorial Tattoo Project and explore what is meaningful in life through the construction of a "Before I die, I want to..." Experience creative artwork, engaging readings, and thoughtful discussions. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this captivating event!

Do you have a tattoo memorializing a loved one who has passed away? Would you like to have a professional portrait of your tattoo? Follow this link to complete a photo release form and share the story behind your memorial tattoo. After you have completed the forms, you can also sign up for a time slot to have your photo taken. All photos will be on display in Woulfe Alumni Hall on Thursday, Nov. 14.

5:30-8:30 p.m.
Event begins in the Iversen Hearth Room, Anderson Student Center (dinner)
Event concludes in the Iversen Center for Faith (dessert)
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus

Free to attend

 

Join us to experience an inspiring evening filled with comforting food, uplifting music, and moving stories.

Let us come together to honor the cherished memories of our loved ones and foster a message of hope.

Gather for a heartfelt evening of remembrance and community, centered around a *free* and delicious Italian-style dinner. Enjoy lasagna (meat or vegetarian) as we share in prayer led by Fr. Chris Collins, embark on a Candlelight Memorial Walk, and connect over dessert and coffee.

We’ll celebrate the unity and diversity of our community and learn about the cultural significance of Día de los Muertos in a special session led by St. Thomas' Campus Ministry Latino Outreach Student Leaders. Bring photos of your loved ones—both people and pets—to add to our heartwarming visual tribute!

Join us to experience an inspiring evening filled with comforting food, uplifting music, and moving stories. Mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening of hope and remembrance. This is no charge to attend. All are welcome!

Register here.

5-6:30 p.m.
James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall, 3rd floor, Anderson Student Center
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus

Free to attend (CEUs are available)

We are excited to host this lively panel discussion that brings together experts, thought leaders and licensed practitioners across the helping professions to discuss what it means to become grief-informed.

As a society, we have moved away from understanding grief as a communal experience to viewing grief as a private matter. Additionally, there is a lack of grief education and ethnic-racial representation in our research and training which leads to practices that fail to address the needs of those who are grieving.

Through this panel, we’ll foster insightful discussion, share groundbreaking ideas, and create networking opportunities.

Register now to secure your spot and invest in your professional growth. There is no charge to attend. CEUs are available.

6:30-9 p.m.
James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall, 3rd floor, Anderson Student Center
University of St. Thomas

  • $20 registration fee (CEUs are available)
  • Free for St. Thomas students, staff and faculty (UST ID required at checkout for discount)

We’re thrilled to invite our surrounding communities to a transformative and inspiring keynote address! Internationally-known and renowned scholar Dr. Tashel Bordere will present her award-winning research on suffocated grief.

We’ll share in the richness of our community beginning with hearty appetizers and refreshments while surrounded by artwork created throughout the week and imagery from the George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art database. Music from St. Thomas’ own Donne Unite Women’s choir will set an inspiring tone before we turn our attention to our keynote speaker, Dr. Bordere.

Following the keynote address, we’ll engage in conversation, coffee, and desserts.

Register online. A ticket is required for all guests (free or paid).

Keynote Speaker

Tashel C. Bordere, PhD, CT is an internationally-known scholar, author, and speaker, adjunct and researcher at the Center for Family Policy and Research, Human Development and Family Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is past professor at the University of Missouri and University of Central Missouri. She is certified in Thanatology (Death, Dying, and Bereavement). Dr. Bordere is President of the Board of the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) and serves on the Advisory Board of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). She is a member of the International Workgroup on Death and Dying. She recently completed a Forward Promise Fellowship through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) focusing on the promotion of healing, growth and thriving among boys and young men of color. She is a mentor and career coach to developing Health Equity Scholars through Johns Hopkins (RWJF).

Dr. Bordere's research is contextually based focusing on cultural trauma, stigmatized loss (homicide loss, assaultive violence–sexual assault), suffocated grief (a term she coined), and Black youth and family bereavement and mourning rituals. She developed the S.H.E.D. Grief Tools Training Program for Early Childhood Professionals and programs and K-12 schools.

Dr. Tashel Bordere head shot

Dr. Tashel Bordere

Presented by Family Studies and Social Work

Good Grief, St. Thomas! is a new initiative conceived and launched by Family Studies Program Director Audra Nuru, Ph.D., and Social Work Program Director Melissa Lundquist, Ph.D.They have collaborated with several St. Thomas partners and external community organizations to develop this weeklong event.

We invite you to learn more about these long-established areas of academic excellence at St. Thomas.

In Gratitude

We are grateful to our sponsors for their financial support.
  • American Culture and Difference
  • English Department
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Graduate School of Professional Psychology
  • Department of Philosophy
  • Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies
  • Department of Psychology
  • Morrison Family College of Health
  • Department of Theology
  • School of Social Work