JOHNSON CITY – (May 9, 2022) An innovative partnership between East Tennessee State University and the Unicoi County School System will provide a framework to support students who have experienced trauma and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
The goal of the five-year initiative, called the Resilient Schools Project, is to guide administrators in identifying what tools, resources and practices the Unicoi County School System can provide to help these students overcome barriers to being successful in school, according to ETSU faculty member Dr. Ginger Christian.
“Children face challenging life events, and this can affect their ability to learn and thrive,” said Christian, an assistant professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) in the Clemmer College. “Educators are a powerful influence in students’ lives and resilient schools understand and connect evidence-based practices to building strong brains.”
“The project champions the Unicoi County School System’s vision to invest in students and build our future,” said John English, director of UCS. “We are excited about the focus on social emotional learning and research-based programs that align with our district goals.”
ETSU’s ELPA department and Strong BRAIN Institute (SBI) are teaming with Unicoi County Schools on this project to offer training, coaching and assessment tools.
The ELPA department and SBI are providing resources and working closely with the UCS Leadership Team to teach students how to respond to challenging life events. These university partners will make resources available to design and implement a continuum of support from elementary through high school that will serve as a model for other school districts in Tennessee.
According to Christian, the project recognizes that children’s brains grow and develop until they are 25 and captures the power of resilience at work from year to year throughout the journey from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Christian says the goal is to help educators respond to these students and to provide immediate and proactive interventions. Students who have experienced ACEs often express anger, fear and agitation.
“As educators, we want to transfer these feelings into a sense of hope and healing,” she said.
Researchers with ETSU’s Strong BRAIN Institute are involved in this partnership. The institute, which promotes the awareness and empirical study of ACEs, was established in 2020 through a gift from Ballad Health.
ETSU faculty member and Strong BRAIN Institute member Dr. Megan Quinn has provided information on the connection of neuroscience and the physiological impact of trauma on students. Christian and Dr. Virginia Foley spent the spring semester providing training to Unicoi County principals on ways to put strategic plans in place for learning and assessment.
Christian added, “We are honored to partner with Unicoi County Schools and work collaboratively to support school leaders as they pioneer new innovative systems. The tools and evidence-based practices will connect the power of multiple resources working together for students. An educator’s role is to understand and engage the brain much like a neurologist.
“This work embodies the idea of teaching the whole child’s heart and mind and links the medical research to educational practices,” she added. “The Resilient School Project seeks to understand how to build strong brains while we capture students’ hearts for a bright and productive future. There is no limit for students and schools in our communities.”
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