Bringing Trauma-Informed Education to the Classroom

Lakeside is thrilled to announce that Joshua MacNeill, has been named Director of NeuroLogic Initiatives at Lakeside. In this expanded position, MacNeill will not only continue to be a resource to the programs at Lakeside as they continue to implement trauma-informed practices into their daily schedule but he will also work to train and coach other youth-based programs (schools, after school programs, intermediate units, etc.) in understanding the impact of trauma in children and youth and how to apply best practices.

“I am excited to see Joshua MacNeill take on the position of Director of Lakeside’s NeuroLogic Education Initiative,” says Kathy Van Horn, Executive Vice President at Lakeside. “Josh has the unique ability to take complicated concepts and make them practical for the classroom teacher.”

Josh is no stranger to Lakeside, and brings a stellar reputation and strong connections in the field of trauma-informed education. He has experience in the classroom and was instrumental in the continued training of the staff at Lakeside. Josh was also the face of Brain Break Tuesday, a weekly email training video at Lakeside, that feature Josh demonstrating a particular brain break and the reasoning behind it.

“I’ve always had a heart for at-risk students,” says MacNeill “and now with this opportunity, I’ll be able to have an impact on even more students by training other teachers.”

MacNeill has trained and consulted schools throughout the greater Philadelphia region as well as traveled as far as Banff, Canada and Oslo, Norway to speak to schools and other organizations about the impact of trauma on students’ brains and the practical tools and interventions that can be used to improve impulse control and promote healing.

“He is an excellent communicator and through stories from his own experience, he is able to give others an understanding of the impact of trauma as well as a plethora of practical ideas that can be applied to the classroom immediately,” concludes Van Horn.

Josh has completed the Neurosequential Model of Education Trainers Program through the Child Trauma Academy. This training, with his Bachelor Degree in communication studies and a Master Degree in multicultural education, along with his many years of experience as a classroom teacher, have uniquely prepared Josh for leading Lakeside’s NeuroLogic Education Initiative, a new training division for schools.

Lakeside, a long-standing nonprofit serving the needs of over 2500 students annually throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, provides a range of therapeutic educational programs and services. Lakeside’s approach empowers students to realize their life goals and to become positive citizens in their communities. Along with providing a quality education for all students, both special and general education, Lakeside also provides intensive clinical support. The scope of its programs covers issues such as emotional and behavioral difficulties, impulsivity, truancy, ungovernability, mental health, addictions and teen pregnancy. In addition to its multiple campuses where students in grades 5-12 are enrolled, Lakeside also provides training for professionals including early childhood education, anger/violence prevention and trauma-informed systems. For additional information, please visit Lakeside’s website at www.lakesidelink.com. /*-->*/