You are invited to join us on February 22 for an international book reading and discussion with children's author and ACEs advocate, Juleus Ghunta.

Juleus is a Chevening Scholar, children’s writer, a member of Jamaica’s National Task Force on Character Education, and an advocate in the Caribbean’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) movement.

Juleus holds a BA in Media from The University of the West Indies, Mona, and an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford. His work explores the links between toxic stress and academic underachievement. His poems and essays on ACEs have appeared in 30+ journals across 16 countries. His picture book Tata and the Big Bad Bull was published by CaribbeanReads in 2018 and he is the co-editor of the December 2019 and March 2020 issues of Interviewing the Caribbean (The UWI Press), focused on children’s literature and ACEs in the Caribbean. Juleus' new book Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows: A Story About ACEs and Hope will be published by CaribbeanReads on December 31, 2021. His Notebook of Words and Ideas, which features prominently in Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows, will be published by CaribbeanReads in 2022. 

Keynote by Benjamin Perks, Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at UNICEF. 

Ben leads on public and policy advocacy on issues related to the survival, development and protection of children. He is a member of the Policy Advisory Group on the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and serves on a number of other bodies.

In personal capacity, he is Senior Fellow at the Jubilee Centre at the University of Birmingham in the UK, which researches education policy on character, social and emotional development of children. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Kent at Canterbury and has recently completed a mid-career programme with the Harvard Graduate School of Education on Leadership and Education Reform.

He is recognized as a public speaker, blogger and influencer on violence against children and adverse childhood experiences. His TedX talk on ACEs can be found here. Ben can be followed on twitter and his blogsite.

Event Emcee, Ashley Glass

Ashley Glass, a highly regarded journalist with almost two decades of experience as an anchor and reporter, is the weekday co-anchor of CBS12 News This Morning 4:30-7 am, and CBS12 News at 9 am and noon. She has previously worked in Tampa, Springfield, IL and Gainesville.

Ashley has covered many significant news events, is a champion for small businesses, and produces and presents regular special reports on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on children’s mental health and other timely issues. She graduated from the University of Florida with honors and dual degrees in Telecommunication-News and Political Science. Ashley has two daughters and loves living in Palm Beach County. 

About Rohan Bullkin

"Rohan Bullkin hates reading. Everyone knows this. His teachers, classmates, everyone – including the Shadows.” So begins Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows. Rohan’s reluctance to read is fuelled by Shadows – manifestations of his adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress. The book follows his journey from reluctant to enthusiastic reader, a change brought about by the guidance he receives from a magical book and from members of his community who help him to understand the impact of his past experiences.

Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows highlights the need for us to find transformative ways of engaging with perpetrators of ACEs, and the role families and communities can play in helping survivors develop resilience and hope. 

 Center for Child Counseling is pleased to host this international book reading and discussion with Juleus about his new book, which is based on his own early experiences. This free, virtual event is designed for sector leaders to actively address the effects of childhood trauma and adversity on children, families, and communities through education, discourse, action, and advocacy.