- Unicef USA
- Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston
- Kognito
Education & Inclusive Economic Opportunity
Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools
Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools is an interactive simulation that serves as a solution for educators to build skills, confidence, and empathy to support students whose behavior might be related to sources of trauma or distress. By practicing role-play conversations with virtual students, educators learn how to spot warning signs of trauma, lead real-life conversations with students, improve their classroom experience, and explore making a referral to a mental health professional.
The simulation was developed in collaboration with UNICEF USA and the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston in response to devastation in the Houston area as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Upon launching one year after the hurricane, UNICEF USA provided free access to the simulation for all 31 Houston-area school districts. This effort reached 57,000 educators serving 940,000 students.
With concerns over the impact of mass psychological trauma on students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, districts are turning to Trauma-Informed Practices as a solution for this unique back-to-school year.
To date, more than 100,000 educators have accessed Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools, including over 50,000 users between July and September 2020.
Trauma-Informed Practices received a Gold Medal citation for excellence in the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) category in the 2019 International Serious Play Awards program. It was also selected as a winner in the software category of Tech & Learning’s 2020 Awards of Excellence contest, a competition led by Tech & Learning magazine which recognizes products that are improving the way educators and students learn.
