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Developing Healthy Minds: It’s Never Too Early to Start! [Blog.SAMHSA.gov] | ACEs in Child Care | ACEsConnection The human mind is one of the most complex structures in the universe. Even in early infancy, it is capable of taking in a wide variety of inputs. Still, in our early years, we’ve only unlocked a small portion of its potential. Our brains actually continue to develop into our twenties . Accordingly, the U.S. Government embraces a definition of youth that continues until we turn 25.

Watch this video from Pottstown School District to learn about the new Second Step Social & Emotional Learning curriculum which is currently integrated into 64 classrooms. Each class at Elizabeth B. Barth Elementary School, which is featured in the video, has SEL lessons.

Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection is one of the featured stories in this resource. "Responding to the overwhelming demand of funders in the Delaware Valley to better understand the impacts of trauma on our region and how they can apply trauma informed practices to their own work, Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey partnered to produce this hands-on resource...

Disciplinary polices have come under fire across the country with the revelation that thousands of preschool students are suspended or expelled each year–an issue that can be improved with professional development in social-emotional learning, according to new study. Researchers at Vanderbilt University found that teachers trained in using the Pyramid Model, an approach based on positive behavior support in developing children’s social-emotional competence and preventing and addressing...

Results from our Trauma 101 Trainings, presented at a recent PTICC Steering Committee Meeting, are available as photo attachments below.

Our work with ACEs and trauma in Pottstown was featured in the Fall 2016 Community Benefit Report issued by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation (PAHAWF). Within the feature, you can read about how we are becoming a trauma informed community, some scientific information about the effects of ACEs on the developing brain, a note from the President of the PAHAWF, and information from PEAK Coordinator and Chair of the Communications and Messaging for PTICC, Mary Rieck. There are...

This is a great read on play and its role in a child's brain development. "Did you know that more than just about any other activity, play is what promotes the healthy development of your child! The most important thing to remember about play is that it should be pleasurable. That means that if your child is having fun, then you are doing it right! Play can use the mind, body or even props. It engages the imagination and exercises the muscles, and it also allows our children to practice new...

Did you know that you can follow Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection not only here on ACEs Connection, but also on Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram ? On those platforms, you will find photos and videos from community events, information about upcoming programming, and news related to ACEs and trauma. Follow and join in on the conversation about trauma and #BreakingTheCycle in Pottstown because community matters, connection matters, and your story matters.

Many of us are aware of ACEs and the effects it has on our children and on us. We must keep in mind that an ACE score is not the end. See the story of Pastor Darrell Armstrong of Trenton NJ.

"Community networks in the state of Washington have been effective in reducing the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), according to a study released this month by respected policy research firm Mathematica." - Click here to read more from the article.

On the first day of kindergarten, poor children are already behind. But the distance they need to cover to start school on par with richer kids has shortened – in spite of widening economic inequality – according to surprising new research co-authored by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Professor Sean Reardon . The study, conducted with Stanford GSE alumna Ximena Portilla, compared the achievement gaps between high- and lower-income children kindergarten in 1998 and 2010 using the...

Right before students are due to return for the fall session, tri-county area educators learned how to incorporate play into the school day during a wellness seminar at the Pottstown Middle School. About 160 people representing 13 area school districts attended the 2016 “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Institute” last week. The two-day event shows educators and school administrators how to incorporate physical fitness as well as other healthy activities into the school to create a better...