MARQUETTE — The U.P. Hospice Foundation has been awarded a Community Pilot Grant to host an Upper Peninsula-wide Grief Support Conference designed to equip professionals with practical tools to better support grieving children and youth across the region.

The conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time Friday, March 13, at the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

The U.P. Hospice Foundation serves as the fiduciary and project manager for the grant, with the conference developed through a collaborative partnership with U.P. Home Health and Hospice, Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice, and Dr. Yan Ciupak, co-founder of the Grief Support Specialist Program at Northern Michigan University.

“Grief Support Training: Bridging Theory and Practice in Supporting Children and Youth” is a one-day, interactive conference created for professionals who work directly with children, youth, and families experiencing grief.

Participants will gain exposure to current grief theory alongside evidence-informed, practical strategies that can be immediately applied in real-world settings.

The conference will include expert-led presentations, hands-on expressive art activities, and mindfulness-based, embodied experiential practices that promote mindful, holistic, and individualized approaches to grief support.

The conference is open to professionals and agencies throughout the Upper Peninsula, including school districts, Intermediate School Districts and Regional Educational Service Agencies, hospice and health care organizations, social work departments, counselors, other community-based providers and caregivers.

Organizers encourage agencies to share this opportunity widely within their networks to strengthen regional capacity for compassionate grief care.

The conference will offer continuing education units for nurses and social workers. The inclusion of CEUs allows the training to count toward professional development requirements, making participation both accessible and valuable while laying the groundwork for future regional offerings.

Professionals and agencies interested in attending are encouraged to go to https://www.uphomehealth.org/event/upgriefsupport2026 to register and learn more about speakers, session content, and CEU opportunities.

Early interest and registration are encouraged to ensure broad regional participation.