MARQUETTE – The U.P. Hospice Foundation has been awarded a Community Pilot grant from the Superior Health Foundation to host an Upper Peninsula-wide Grief Support Conference.

The conference aims to equip professionals with practical tools to support grieving children and youth. The one-day event, “Grief Support Training: Bridging Theory and Practice in Supporting Children and Youth,” will take place Friday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University (NMU).

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 & Hospice, Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice and Dr. Yan Ciupak, co-founder of the Grief Support Specialist Program at NMU.

This interactive conference is designed for professionals who work directly with children, youth and families experiencing grief. Participants will explore current grief theory and evidence-informed strategies that can be applied immediately in real-world settings. The program includes expert-led presentations, hands-on expressive art activities and mindfulness-based experiential practices that foster holistic and individualized grief support.

The conference is open to a broad range of Upper Peninsula professionals and agencies, including school districts, ISDs, RESAs, hospice and healthcare organizations, social workers, counselors and community-based providers and caregivers. Organizers encourage agencies to share this opportunity widely to strengthen regional capacity for compassionate grief care.

Attendees can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for nurses and social workers, making participation count toward professional development requirements while laying the foundation for future regional training opportunities.

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