2018 Awareness Day Final Report AD2018_FinalReport_FINAL | Page 9

Trauma-Informed Education Systems
“I was able to host a statewide convening where leaders from different agencies worked together toward becoming statewide trauma-informed. And some of the
wonderful examples of trauma-informed approaches that were shared during that convening were in schools.”
— DONNA WALKER, First Lady of Alaska
Educators see a dimension to children that may be invisible to others. They have
a unique point of view in which to observe how children perform academically,
interact with each other, and relate to their worlds.
At Awareness Day 2018, participants were introduced to a remarkable school
in Alaska that has made being trauma-informed an integral part of their school
culture. They are looking beyond, or perhaps through, behaviors such as being
consistently absent or tardy or being too sleepy to engage in a class activity
to reveal larger circumstances that can affect the child’s performance and
emotional well-being.
Through a program that uses evidence-based practices known as Brain Train,
teachers become aware of trauma and what trauma looks like among students
in the classroom. Teachers also learn to ask the right questions, and how to
find services and supports to help students succeed in school and in life. They
can then integrate those practices of asking the right questions and directing
students to the supports that can help them.
“Every kid comes in here with a story,” says Wasilla Principal Casey Hull. “And
we spend just a little extra time to understand what that story is.”
According to administrators, two-thirds of the students at Wasilla Middle School
in Alaska have experienced some form of trauma. Their goal as a district is to
make the school a safe place that fosters learning and well-being.
“We don’t try to figure out who those students [who experience trauma] are,”
says Tara Moore, Counseling Coordinator for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough
School District. “We treat all students as if they have experienced something.”
“Trauma-informed care is truly transforming.”
— SUSAN HUTCHINSON, First Lady of Arkansas
PARTNERING FOR HEALTH AND HOPE FOLLOWING TRAUMA
9