Sabal Point Elementary

In January 2025, Sabal Point Elementary was designated a “Grief-Sensitive School” by the New York Life Foundation, receiving a $500 Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative grant to help create a bereavement support plan and encourage ongoing staff development in order to better support its grieving students.

Schools confront issues of grief and loss every day: 1 in 15 US children* will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. Studies show that unresolved grief can have a social and emotional impact on children, leading to behavioral issues and poor performance in school. Yet educators often feel under-prepared to lend support to their students, with the vast majority of teachers reporting they have not received any bereavement training. The Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative – a pioneering effort that utilizes New York Life’s workforce to help equip local schools to care for the grieving students in their midst – is an extension of the work of the Coalition to Support Grieving Students, a collaboration among leading K-12 professional organizations to develop and deliver best-in-class grief support resources to educators.