Hannah Edelen, Author at Kentucky Youth Advocates

Let’s Measure What We Value — The Well-being of Kentucky Students

Let’s Measure What We Value — The Well-being of Kentucky Students

You’ve probably heard the quotes, “What gets measured gets managed,” or “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it,” or even, “We measure what we value.” Central to each of these quotes is the premise that capturing data is the foundation for examining growth, impact, and understanding how the decisions we make change outcomes. If we care about outcomes, we have to measure them. Data as a Compass The Kentucky Department [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-11-05T15:59:01-05:00November 5th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|

A Shared Sentence: Parental Incarceration + Impact on Kids

A Shared Sentence: Parental Incarceration + Impact on Kids

October is Parental Incarceration Awareness Month and serves a reminder of the impact of having a loved one behind bars and the direct consequences on children and families. This shared sentence is considered an Adverse Childhood Experience and is associated with negative health and other social outcomes. Research continues to demonstrate how parental incarceration impacts kids – creating disruption and trauma, instability for families, and increased reliance on community supports. Parental Incarceration [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-10-29T09:50:26-04:00October 29th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice|

Bloom Kentucky Sprout-Out: Cultivating Shared Stewardship Around Opioid Abatement Funds in Clark County

Bloom Kentucky Sprout-Out: Cultivating Shared Stewardship Around Opioid Abatement Funds in Clark County

By Sarah Caton Walters, Director of Communications at Greater Clark Foundation Communities can spend years preparing for opportunities they never know will come. When opioid settlement funds began making their way to local governments across Kentucky, Clark County had a rare opportunity: not to only distribute new resources, but to decide together how those resources could create lasting change. Public dollars belong to the community, and they offer the most possibility when the [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-11-04T15:26:23-05:00October 1st, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Health|

Bloom Kentucky Engages Youth in ‘Disconnect to Connect in Real Life’ Challenge

Bloom Kentucky Engages Youth in ‘Disconnect to Connect in Real Life’ Challenge

August 12 is International Youth Day and what better way to celebrate than by announcing a Youth Listening Tour and the Disconnect to Connect in Real Life Challenge, a campaign led by youth for youth. Bloom Kentucky is heading across the state to gather youth feedback so potential social media settlement dollars are directed toward the real-life programs, spaces, and supports that young people actually value and need. Across the country, thousands [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-10-09T08:57:57-04:00August 12th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|

Celebrating 5 Years of Bloom Kentucky

Celebrating 5 Years of Bloom Kentucky

Bloom Kentucky is celebrating five years of working to cultivate a Commonwealth where all families can flourish. Uniquely powered by grantmaking partners across the state, Bloom Kentucky is united by a shared commitment to end Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and promote resilience through systemic change. By focusing on forward-thinking policy solutions and strategic investments, Bloom works to address the root causes of adversity and build a brighter future for all Kentuckians. [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-08-07T14:10:37-04:00August 7th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|

The Great Tech Debate – Will Kentucky choose to nourish kids?

The Great Tech Debate – Will Kentucky choose to nourish kids?

There’s been a lot of talk as of late (and over the past couple of years) in the news and in Frankfort about screen time, AI, cell phones, social media, and more. Advocates, researchers, educators, and key leaders are making noise because of the significant implications on children and teens. Some argue that technology and extensions thereof is the latest moral panic. Y’all remember when people got bent out of shape over rock [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-10-09T08:58:12-04:00August 4th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety|

More Green Time, Less Screen Time

More Green Time, Less Screen Time

By Ashley Hoffman and Hannah Edelen With summer in full swing, it's a great time to consider how we want our children to spend their time. Today’s young people are spending more time in front of screens than any previous generation. Some research suggests children now spend more than a quarter of their waking hours engaged with digital media and less than 1% of their time outdoors. That is a dramatic [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-10-09T08:58:25-04:00July 15th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|

Building Resilience Together: A Look at Bounce Coalition’s Training Offerings

Building Resilience Together: A Look at Bounce Coalition’s Training Offerings

In every community, there are children and adults carrying the weight of trauma, often silently. The Bounce Coalition -- an initiative of Kentucky Youth Advocates -- exists to change that reality by equipping organizations with the knowledge and tools to build resilience, respond with compassion, and create environments where kids and families can truly thrive. Bounce’s training offerings are designed to support schools, nonprofits, youth-serving organizations, healthcare providers, residential facilities, workforce and community [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-07-09T09:34:24-04:00July 7th, 2026|Blog|

Raising a Generation Beyond the Screen – The High Cost of Screen Time

Raising a Generation Beyond the Screen – The High Cost of Screen Time

“When I was a kid…we played outside, we would roam the neighborhood, … we were never on screens.” As society evolves and technology becomes more advanced and we learn more about the implications of inventions, we find ourselves grappling with new challenges that require new solutions. U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Screen Time The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory at the end of May warning against the harms of screen time. This [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-10-09T08:59:13-04:00June 15th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|

One Kentucky Teen’s Mission: Disconnect to Connect

One Kentucky Teen’s Mission: Disconnect to Connect

By Hannah Edelen & Guest Writer, Aleah Stigall Aleah Stigall is a 17-year-old senior at Boyle County High School and has a passion for connection. She strives to teach the importance of real relationships with real people, as she shared at the 2026 Town Hall on Kids at Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Through her personal initiative, “Disconnect To Connect - Let’s Get Real,” Aleah educates her peers [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-10-09T09:00:34-04:00May 13th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health|

About Hannah Edelen