Trauma in Schools #1 — Welcome and Overview
Why a podcast series on student trauma now?
Rationale
Given the on-going pandemic, concern over students’ social and emotional health is now top-of-mind for educators and their support staff in the larger school ecosystem. The reality for many students, however, is that COVID has only exacerbated any number of adverse childhood experiences they already carried in their trauma-filled backpacks.
The causes of student trauma are varied and complex: sexual abuse, bullying, overt racism, or micro-aggressions, severe illness, a catastrophic weather-related event, parent’s divorce, poor foster home environment, disrupted attachment, or the death of a relative or close friend.
The cost of lasting trauma is high. It negatively impacts a student’s current mental health, their academic performance, and their long-term ability to be productive citizens.
So what can be done about this growing issue?
Authoritative voices
The “Coalition to Alleviate Childhood Trauma” (CACT), led by Dr. Christine Mason, is pleased to announce the launch of a podcast series focused on addressing student trauma. The series will bring together a rich array of respected school personal, thought leaders, and mental health experts, speaking on a comprehensive list of trauma-related topics, including:
Defining Student-related Trauma: Origins and Examples
The Case for a Creating a Vision to Address Trauma
A District Vision to Address Trauma
The Neuroscience Underpinning and Implications of Trauma
The Policy Advocate’s Perspective
The Psychologists’ / Counselors’ / Social workers' Role
The Administrators’ Role
The Field Consultants’ Role
Addressing ACEs and Trauma via Simulations
Addressing Trauma via Higher Ed Administrator and Teacher Training
Addressing Trauma in District Faculty and Staff
Addressing Trauma Through the Parent / Community Connection
Intergenerational Trauma, Racism and Injustice
The voices of students who have endured trauma in the past or who are currently experiencing it will be integrated throughout the episodes.
Cultivating resilience
Each of the episodes ends with the guest recommending actions that listeners can immediately consider and/or implement. But to do that effectively, most school districts need to earmark specific funds. Therefore, we hope that this series will influence how districts are allocating their ESSER and other stimulus funds. Finally, we hope to use this series to inform legislatures as they go about writing bills that could support the alleviation of trauma in the schools.
A note about our show music. We thought Bronze Radio Returns’ “Right There Beside You” was perfect for a series about connecting deeply with kids to help mitigate the impact of ACEs. And the band did, too. As drummer Rob Griffith noted, “We're honored to be a part of something that will hopefully help a lot of people through this challenging topic.”
Development team
The podcast series was designed by a dedicated team of life-long educators:
Dr. Christine Mason - Founder/CEO Center for Educational Improvement
Jesse Kohler - Executive Director at Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice
Jeff Ikler - Leadership coach, host of the “Getting Unstuck – Educators Leading Change” podcast, author
Hannah Beach - Award-winning educator, author, and keynote speaker
Tamara Strijack - Academic dean of the Neufeld Institute, author, and educator
Dr. Melissa Hughes - neuroscience research; Florida Program Director for “Give Something Back”
Andrea De Bartolo - Editorial Assistant
Neil Hughes - Sound engineer, editing, and production
Susan Mason - Web design
Availability
The series is available for subscription now. Episodes are available at Trauma in Schools, through Apple Podcasts and other podcast stations.
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