Why Schools Should Prioritize Grief Education: Making Healing an Essential Part of the Curriculum

Activist Kanika Cousine emphasizes the necessity of integrating healing into the school day. In March 2025, 16-year-old Sincere Jazmin tragically lost his life to gun violence at a bus stop in Jamaica, Queens, shortly after getting off his school bus. The New York Post reported that he stumbled into a deli before collapsing. Just days later, another 16-year-old from Lansdowne High School in Maryland was fatally shot nearby, collapsing while fleeing to safety, as CBS News Baltimore noted. In both instances, classmates returned to classes the next day, supported by police and grief counselors, yet instruction continued as normal.Cousine, founder of Journey of A Dreamer INC, highlights the urgent need for addressing grief and trauma in educational environments. She argues that schools must evolve to support students grappling with heavy emotional burdens, emphasizing that mental health resources should be fundamental, not supplementary. In communities rife with trauma, education must prioritize healing, providing students with the support they truly need. Healing should be a core component of the school experience.