Missteps with Trauma-Informed Schools I am a part of a team of highly committed, innovative, and creative individuals who all believe that we are the right people to create meaningful and positive change. Each of us also believes deeply that YOU are the right person for this job too. There are three environments in which almost all young people exist: 1) the family environment, 2) the community environment, and 3) the school environment. It’s time that we let go of all the narratives that...

I have a dream that in the future, anytime we hold events, public forums, work on policies, and/or build change, the people experiencing the issues we are trying to solve, will be driving forces at the table. This idea is not new, but for some reason it seems difficult to actualize. We are a long way from arrival. There is a phrase that I have loved that guides this thinking, "Those closest to the pain, should be closest to the power." This is not just an equity issue, but rather a human...

Are you seeking support to build a truly trauma-informed school or community? Trauma-informed work is never a one-size-fits-all program. It is about building a responsive and actionable culture that is rooted in the science of Hope. Building healthy communities takes a full-spectrum approach, from building the buy-in, to implementing and sustaining the process. In this online conference, you will learn the components for building change: understanding how to develop Hope ; learning how to...

I am Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz from Kansas and I just wanted to stop by and share what ACEs Connection has meant for me, my life, and my work. ACEs Connection is a hub for people to find one another. There are all these amazing people that stand ready, who are employed for by ACEs Connection, to connect me to people across the world, and find answers and possibilities. So ACEs Connection, on my trauma informed journey, has been a vital kind of staple I remember early on, just having so many...

Bridging to Resilience is a virtual conference to connect us with the ideas, strategies, tools, and people to help build resilience and heal trauma in our own communities. When: November 12-13 Where: Zoom virtual conferencing. Links to keynotes and sessions will be shared with registered participants before November 12. Cost: $99/person for 2 full days of virtual learning + 1 year of On-Demand access to all the sessions after the conference closes. Can't attend on November 12-13? No problem!

PSSST! Spoiler Alert!!! Educator friends and parents! Please hear me. I’m going to tell you what’s inside the nutshell. Trauma-informed is NOT about changing the kids. It’s about changing US. You see I have a child that had debilitating meltdowns for YEARS. I became a trauma-informed parent and I taught him all the good stuff about his amygdala and cortisol and oxytocin and water and air. And it started clicking and one night he runs into the room shouting and stomping his feet, “I’m...

Where to begin... My heart is full of hope and joy as I watch the trauma-informed schools movement swell across our nation and planet. The science of ACEs is mind-bending to say the least and we are now able to open up a much deeper dialogue about human behavior and health. Ultimately this work is about healing… All. Of. Us. A new consciousness is taking root around ending the “us vs them” construct. The idea is growing that we’re all on this journey together and that no matter where our...

I’m hearing it all… Trauma-Aware. Trauma-Sensitive. Trauma-Responsive. Trauma-Informed. Trauma-Empowered. Trauma-Invested. …and the latest I’ve recently heard, Trauma-Attuned Environments. Then there is the biggest conversation of all of them that has but one word, Resilience . I’ve recently learned that this single word has multiple viewpoints, definitions, hopes, and even triggers for a large number of people. I am just one person and I occupy a relatively small parcel of the world, but...

@Christine Cissy White asked me to share more about the Bridging to Resilience Conference. I am blown away by the depth of expertise presenting with us this year! There is no other conference like this. We will have at-promise students and parents sharing with us as well as community organizations that are hungry to partner with schools for solutions! We are so much stronger when everyone’s at the table! Conference highlights: Opening Remarks and kickoff by ACEs Connection Founder,...

This conference is designed to bring educators, students, parents, pastors, community members, health departments, corrections and any other professions that deal with human capital, to the table of solutions and collaboration. Jim Sporleder is leading this national conference. Jim is the author of Implementing a Trauma-Informed School and the Principal of Lincoln High School in the award winning documentary Paper Tigers. He continues to guide many districts and communities across the United...

http://povertyedge.com/index.php/2018/02/08/healing-trauma-and-solving-poverty/

I am not even sure where to start. But, I know I need to write about this. I need to give this to the world. Perhaps to another mother who is facing the darkness and can’t see her way out. Perhaps she is watching her children caught in the cyclone that is her life. I think she is who I am writing this for. And maybe for me too. I am doing some amazing work with a community that is fast becoming dear to my heart. I look at the people who keep showing up that are trying to wrap their heads...

Here in Kansas, some very exciting conversations are happening in education and in our communities. Several communities and even more school districts are asking the question: "How do we become trauma-informed? How do we create communities and schools where everyone can win? How do we become healthier as a whole and how do we begin the long overdue process of healing individually and collectively?" Of course our spotlight search has led us here and to Jim Sporleder. The work done with Paper...