Resiliency Series Addresses Childhood Stress for PreK, Elem staff

Educators working with young children facing excessive stress, including trauma and instability at home, have an opportunity to learn how to calm and regulate students and prime them for learning.

Starting September 1, preschool and elementary educators are invited to participate in a new virtual series, “Building Resiliency in Our Youngest Students,” led by respected education specialists Dr. Lori Desautels and Michael McKnight. The four-part workshop will be held on Zoom each Wednesday through September 22, from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Children dealing with stress react in varying ways and often display these actions in the classroom. If not addressed, these issues - plus the additional stressors brought on by the pandemic - can negatively impact the youth and cause life-long issues.

To address these concerns, each session of the workshop will focus on a specific topic and provide guidance on ways to effectively work with impacted students, including tips for regulating children’s attention and behavior. The four topics include Neuroscience of the Brain, Adult Brain and Body State, Co-Regulation, and Sensory Regulation Practices. These subjects compliment Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), which has become a strong area of focus for most schools, particularly during the last few years.

The presenters also will share insight on how the young brains of children and adolescents learn, behave, and handle hardships.

Workshop participants will hear the latest research on the brain’s reactions to stress and how toxic levels of stress affect brain development. Dr. Desautels and McKnight will offer valuable information on creating environments that enhance growth and development to keep kids on the right track. Student behavior and the ability to focus and learn within pre-school, primary, and elementary schools also will be discussed.

Register for the Wednesday sessions at www.capeassist.org/september. Participants only need to register once to gain access to all four sessions.

For questions, please contact Natalia at Natalia@capeassist.org or Laurie at Lsmith@altprev.org

This series is hosted by Cape Assist in partnership with O.C.E.A.N., Inc Community Action Partnership, the Cape May County Healthy Community Coalition, Cape May County P.R.I.D.E. Committee, JTAC, Atlantic Prevention Resources, and Stockton University SRI&ETTC.

Resiliency trainings led by Dr. Desautels and McKnight began in Cape May County in 2018 with School Resiliency Team summer trainings. Administrators and educators from Cape May County schools were invited to the in-person, three-day training to learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and how to help those vulnerable students. The following year, the summer trainings expanded to include Atlantic County. Virtual options were added in 2020, and a hybrid model was introduced in 2021, which allowed educators from around the state to participate.