On Saturday, May 10, a free public workshop on how emotional and psychological trauma impacts school performance will be held at Greater Deliverance Church in Coatesville from 9:00 a.m. until noon.

A joint effort of the Coatesville Area NAACP and OneVoice for CASD, the workshop will cover the causes of emotional and psychological trauma and provide non-clinical best-practices that have proven successful for addressing their impact on school performance.  Parents, advocates, counselors and educators are encouraged to take advantage of this information session. Act 48 credits and CEUs are available, and registration is required as space is limited.  A continental breakfast will be provided at 8:30 a.m. for registered participants, a news release said. 

The Trauma Workshop will be led by a team  of concerned parents, educators and clinicians who first organized under the Chester County Coalition for Public Schools in 2012. This Trauma Workshop Team has made presentations across southeastern Pennsylvania in locations such as Phoenixville, Lancaster, Chester, and at the Chester County Intermediate Unit.  The presentation in Coatesville is an outcome of the ongoing community effort to support students. Registration is not limited to Coatesville residents; any interested person can attend, the release said.

“It is important for those that educate students in the schools to know how to identify and approach a trauma-impacted child with an appropriate level of care and understanding,” stated Dr. Tonya Thames-Taylor, president of the Coatesville Area NAACP. “In an effort to advocate for all children, the Coatesville Area NAACP has partnered with OneVoice for CASD to help raise the community’s level of understanding about the impact of trauma on education. We encourage both educators and the community to register for and attend the May 10 workshop.”

“One Voice is a group of concerned members of the Coatesville community dedicated to empowering all students, parents and educators,” stated Dr. Monica McHale-Small on behalf of OneVoice for CASD. “OneVoice is honored to partner with the Coatesville NAACP to bring information to our community that will allow our educators, parents and advocates to better understand and support our students.”

The ultimate mission of the Trauma Workshop Team is to influence policy-makers to support a trauma informed education system in Pennsylvania. The team is available to present this workshop for all interested parties. Contact the team at duvallflynn@yahoo.com.

To register for the free May 10 workshop, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3L9J58X; or call, One Voice for CASD at 610-384-0137.  Find more information at http://coatesvillenaacp.org/.