The ongoing impacts of COVID, civil rights uprisings, and climate crisis have brought attention to the trauma young people and our communities face. Our workshop centers on these questions: How can we harness brain science and more equitable practices to support those who have been impacted by trauma? How can we shift from reactive responses towards creating proactive communities of belonging and connection in our schools? How do we move away from adults leveraging their power over students to build compliance and cooperation? How do we move towards a more equitable education system that relies on students having voice in their education? This session introduces and expands on foundational concepts like the ACEs study, Neuroscience, and Adlerian psychology to provide both theory and practice. We also explore how power and equity shape our relationships and classroom and school communities.
Aaron has been facilitating workshops for over 15 years to schools, community organizations, and youth development programs. With over 30 years working directly with young people both within schools and out of schools, he has a deep knowledge of how to build more inclusive and equitable communities for young people. Aaron is a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer CPDT.
Roxana Amaral (she/her) has been an educator and community activist in the Pacific Northwest for the past 15 years. She holds a unique educational perspective because of her versatility of roles serving school communities as a case manager, teacher, administrator, community partner, and project and education developer. She has held several leadership roles and has received local and national recognition for her work on college and career readiness and racial equity. Roxana was the first female to serve as the President of the Board of Directors for El Centro de La Raza, a non-profit organization in the Seattle Area, committed to social justice.