2023 Georgia Association of School Nurses Convention
Georgia Association of School Nurses (GASN) returned to hosting their annual conference this year and Georgia STOMP was on site to enjoy the reunion! This gathering of over 350 school nurses from throughout Georgia is an important educational and connectional event for our state. The conference, held in Savannah, branded with a lighthouse and themed “Restore our Light,” was filled with a sense of excitement, friendship and a desire to hone skills and learn about new opportunities to better serve students in Georgia.
Shortly before the pandemic, GASN became a member of Georgia STOMP and plans were initiated for our participation in the conference. After waiting three years for the plan to come to fruition, we made the most of the week. We spent long hours tabling with vendors in order to talk to school nurses individually, and were grateful for the opportunity to address the gathering in a featured segment for the whole conference. The week was rich in opportunities to connect and educate school nurses about the funding available in the state budget and best practices for distributing period products in schools.
Board Chair Claire Cox spoke directly to more than 150 nurses, learning from them about the sufficiency of the state funding for period products in their schools, listening to methods of distribution that have worked (and some that haven’t) and talking to them about best practices we have learned to distribute products without shaming. Adele Stewart presented to the gathering, letting them know more about the organization behind what most Georgia school nurses call “STOMP money.” It was an opportunity to ensure each of is aware of the presence of the money, how the funds which are allocated by the legislature are divided between schools and what can be purchased with the funds. Adele concluded by inviting the nurses to reach out to us if they have any questions or need more information and to connect with us via our newsletter signup.
We wish every one of you who has been a part of Georgia STOMP throughout the past six years could have been present to hear the incredible testimonies about the difference funding is making in the lives of students and their families, and the gratitude on the part of school nurses for the assistance. Prior to the state funding, our surveys showed school nurses and other administrators paid for the products out of their own pockets almost 60% of the time!
