Abstract
Children tend to thrive best when they live in a nurturing environment, surrounded by significant adults in their lives including parents, teachers, and other family and community members who are supportive and are concerned with their well-being. The increasing number of children and youth who are affected by trauma has raised awareness and concern, especially among parents or caregivers, school practitioners, and mental health professionals on the importance of trauma-informed practices. As the pandemic continues, overwhelming amounts of stress resulting from isolation, finances, health care, and the uncertainty of the future will have long-lasting and traumatic effects on the social-emotional well-being of children and youth. Many people who have experienced trauma or have gone through traumatic events in their lives overcome it, and some come out stronger and more resilient. Studies show how support from the family and the presence of at least one supportive adult serve as a buffer and help to mitigate the effects of trauma. The purpose of this project is to provide educators, students, and families with current research and resources to address the effects of trauma. The Building Resilience at Home workshop focuses on three important protective factors based on the Kauai longitudinal study: protective factors within the individual, protective factors in the family, and protective factors in the community. These three protective factors help mitigate the negative and long-term effects of trauma among children and youth and also work together to help build resilience among children and youth. This project contains a literature review on research on the prevalence of trauma, its effects, and relevant trauma-informed practices. It was used to develop the Building Resilience at Home workshop, a research-based tool designed to increase family engagement with schools through sharing of explicit strategies that families can implement at home in order to increase protective factors and build resilience. The workshop seeks to address compassion fatigue and any potential secondary traumatic stress by providing simple to implement self-care strategies. This project serves as an additional resource for educators and families to share trauma-informed practices in order to create positive effects on student outcomes.