Leadership for Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education, Venet, Spring 2023

Course Description

It can be overwhelming to make change in schools, but there are so many ways to get started. This course is for educators who want to implement equity-centered and trauma-informed practices not just in their own classroom, but to make larger shifts within their schools and districts.

If you’ve ever wondered “how do I make a bigger impact?” or “how can I get my colleagues on board?”, this class will help you dig into those questions. We’ll explore texts that focus on the systems-change aspects of equity-centered trauma-informed education as well as ways to think about leadership in a trauma-informed way. We’ll connect research to our daily practice, as well as build a community of change-makers.

Who is this class for?

If you are on your school’s SEL team, equity team, or trauma-informed education workgroup, this class is for you. If you’re a leader with a title - like principal or department chair - this class is for you, but this class is also for those who lead peers without formal recognition. We’ll be looking at how we lead from within our sphere of influence, no matter our job description.

What types of learning activities will we do in class?

We will use a combination of discussion, critical analysis activities, experiential activities and action-research within our school settings. Participants will focus much of their coursework around a specific area of change they want to focus on, and connect course activities to their day-to-day roles.

You can expect to do a lot of reflection and to find action steps from within your sphere of influence to try out. We’ll be learning from two books: Leadership and the New Science by Margaret Wheatley, which will inspire us to learn about leadership from nature, and Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by me (Alex Shevrin Venet) to dig deep into trauma-informed systems change.

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals:

• To deepen our understanding of the systems-change elements of equity-centered trauma-informed education
• To understand our spheres of influence and concern and how to make changes within those
• To learn about models of leadership that follow trauma-informed principles
• To expand our practice of wellness and self-care as a core part of sustaining ourselves and our organizing work.

Course Objectives:

Participants will:

• Develop a systems thinking view of equity-centered trauma-informed education
• Understand issues and trends in the broader educational conversation on trauma and how these impact implementation in school
• Identify their own realm of influence and ways to make change from their position
• Be able to evaluate systemic barriers to trauma-informed practice, especially in the area of behavior management/disciplinary practices
• Create a plan for action/advocacy in their communities

Instructor:

Alex Shevrin Venet, M.Ed., is an educator, author, and professional development facilitator based in Vermont. She works with educators and schools across the country and in Vermont to implement equity-centered trauma-informed educational practices. Previously, she was a teacher and leader at an alternative therapeutic school. She is the co-founder of the Nurturing the Nurturers collective, a healing community for educators. Her first book, Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education, is now available from W.W. Norton. Alex Shevrin Venet

Required Texts

Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by Alex Shevrin Venet

Leadership and the New Science by Margaret Wheatley

For additional course information

Alex Shevrin Venet

802-489-6739

For additional registration information

Center for Schools Team
(802) 468-1325

Register online now!