ONE-OF-A-KIND TRAUMA-INFORMED CONFERENCE
“The core of the trauma-informed educational practices movement is taking hold nationwide in postsecondary education because we are seeing that trauma, adversity, and violence already exist as external forces that impact our students lives and the way they learn,” says MassBay Founder and Director of the Institute for Trauma, Adversity, & Resilience in Higher Education Dr. Jeanie Tietjen. It was Dr. Tietjen’s vision that led to the College’s Institute for Trauma, Adversity, & Resilience in Higher Education to host a one-day, live virtual conference on April 26, 2023, entitled “Naming the Urgency, Envisioning Change, Sharing Tools.” The event was a unique opportunity for educators and higher education professionals to connect, share ideas, and gain valuable professional development on the topic of trauma in higher education.
Conference attendees enjoyed presentations from leading experts in the trauma-informed field who have implemented trauma-informed practices in their scholarship, teaching, and protocols, while exploring new strategies to help their students succeed in the classroom. Speakers included world- renowned trauma scholars, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Dr. Terrell Strayhorn. “As institutions of higher learning, we need to understand and recognize the prevalence of these issues to understand and support the whole student,” says Dr. Tietjen. “Incorporating awareness of trauma and adversity also reveals strategies that contribute to academic resilience vital to authentic equity and inclusion in higher education and the health and well-being of our national workforce, citizenry, and community.”
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