Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC)

A joyous celebration on Friday, February 10, 2023 honoring the leadership of Area Superintendent Lindsay Reese , Principal Amanda Clark, and all staff members with San Diego Workforce Innovation High Schools’ Chula Vista, Linda Vista and National City Learning Centers! Area Superintendent Reese reflected on the TREC Accreditation and shared, "Trauma Resilient Educational Communities provide a safe and supportive environment for students to heal from their past traumas, while also equipping...

It has been a pleasure meeting with many of you to learn more about your community and work. Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Craig and Dana from Learn4Life. Learn4Life gives students control of their learning! Students enjoy personalized learning through one-on-one attention in a safe, secure learning environment. They currently serve over 60,000 students nationally who are primarily in high school. To learn more about this remarkable cooperative member, you can visit...

Collective efficacy occurs when teachers in a school believe that, as a team, they have the power to help their students learn more effectively—and this belief is based on their own shared experiences of success. A culture of collective efficacy does not simply happen; it is built intentionally. I have learned this in my work at Lead by Learning , a nonprofit connected with the Mills College School of Education that partners with schools and districts to foster collective efficacy. At the...

Learn4Life quickly realized that in order to reach students’ heads, we needed to reach their hearts. So, we designed the Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC ) Model which is based on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) science and protocols. TREC is an active approach to understanding trauma. We do more than explain the effects of trauma and encourage understanding amongst our teachers, counselors and staff. All our employees are trained and receive credentials in the foundations...

Many students have had difficulties in life and have struggled to keep up in traditional high school. They have endured challenges such as homelessness, foster care, hunger, abuse, bullying, illness and even human trafficking. Eighty percent are low-income, many are pregnant or parenting teens, and most enroll with us after dropping out, more than a year behind in credits, and reading at lower than a fifth grade level. All school leaders can educate teachers on a trauma-informed approach to...