Transforming Schools Toolkit, Trauma-Engaged Practice in Alaska

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of our daily lives, with school arguably one of the most affected elements. COVID-19 has transformed school systems. School staff, educators, and families are rethinking how to provide education and protect students during this uncertain time. Now, more than ever, districts need to support resilience and coping skills with students and families. DEED and the Association of Alaska School Boards are proud to introduce a new resource to help schools through the pandemic and beyond - Transforming Schools: A Toolkit for Trauma-Engaged Practice in Alaska. The toolkit is the companion guide to the Framework released in 2019. The Transforming Schools Framework and Toolkit are designed for use by school-community teams seeking to make Alaska’s schools a place of positive transformation and significant learning for each student.

“The timing for the release of the new Trauma-Engaged Toolkit could simply not be any better.  While the Toolkit’s construction began before any of us had ever heard of COVID-19 and was initially intended to support the mental health needs many students bring to school with them during ordinary times, the pandemic has heightened the urgency for additional school-based mental health resources,” said Todd Brocious, DEED Health and Safety Education Administrator. “Indeed, all students and all school staff stand to benefit from implementing the strategies embedded in this rich resource as Alaska’s schools work to provide stability, reassurance, and structure during these historically challenging times.” 

A growing body of research indicates that students’ life experiences deeply impact their academic, cognitive, and social-emotional development. The vision of the toolkit is to help Alaska schools and communities integrate trauma-engaged practices and policies into their everyday activities in order to improve academic outcomes and well-being for all students. Improving student outcomes requires supporting the whole child and understanding how trauma impacts a child's ability to learn and thrive.

Next Tuesday, August 25^th, DEED’s Health and Safety team will premiere the newly release Toolkit during the 9:00 am Alaska Smart Start 2020 Summer Virtual Summit session. District staff, education leaders, teachers, and community members are invited to attend.

DEED will also be launching weekly webinars to share the resources and tools available in the Toolkit. The first four webinars will take place September 15 through October 6 on Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m., with additional sessions to be scheduled as new sections are introduced.

Thank you to DEED’s Health and Safety team and the Association of Alaskan School Boards for supporting trauma-engaged practices in Alaska’s schools!