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Sunrise and Trauma Informed Approaches - Applications in Afterschool

Writer's picture: Noah LattanziNoah Lattanzi

Earlier this month, new staff joined Sunrise's Director of Trauma and Curriculum, Marina Fradera, for a professional development session exploring Trauma Informed Approaches to youth development and its applications in the after school environment.


These sessions provided foundational information to understanding the basic concepts of trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), resilience, and protective factors while providing concrete strategies for integrating these concepts into the OST environment.

We're taking the opportunity here to share some of the learnings from those training sessions to give our families a better sense of what exactly Trauma Informed Practices look like at Sunrise.

  1. Trauma Informed Approaches are there as a tool for us to help adults interpret and react to students' behavior in non judgemental, developmentally appropriate ways.

  2. Understanding the trauma informed approach helps us to reframe behaviors. Instead of seeing adverse behaviors as "disrespectful or problematic" the trauma informed approach aims to mitigate "dysregulated" or "escalated" behavior patterns through activities and practices designed to calm the body and mind and move towards a more regulated or de-escalated "brain state".

  3. It's completely natural to want to be punitive, to snap back when a person curses you out or ignores your instructions, even if that person is a 7 year old child. It is critical that we as adults consistently practice different approaches that are designed to redirect and de-escalate these reactions in ourselves in order to avoid escalation, retraumatization, promote healing, and restore connections and trust between staff and students.

  4. At Sunrise there are many techniques and practices we put into our daily procedures that encourage students and staff to self regulate their behavior. Some of these techniques include physical activities that cross their bodies' midline, control the pace of breathing, and release energy.

  5. Trauma is complex. Our main goal is always to adknowledge potential trauma that could be causing dysregulated behaviors and to create environments where students and staff can feel comfortable together and build stronger, trusting relationships.

Sunrise offers several unique workshops designed to explore key concepts in Trauma informed approaches for youth serving organizations , a set of lessons learned from a combined understanding of neurobiology, epigenetics, ACEs, and resilience.


Sunrise's trainings are open to any interested OST provider or educator. To learn more about Trauma informed trainings here at Sunrise visit us on the web at www.sunriseofphila.org/professional-development



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Location:

907 Cantrell Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

Contact:

Phone: 215-952-2730
Email: Info@sunriseofphila.org

© 2024 by Sunrise of Philadelphia. With support from The Tactile Group

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Program Sites:

Francis Scott Key Elementary School:
2230 S 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148

267-294-3119

Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy:

2000 Catharine St.

Philadelphia, PA 19146

267-361-5605

South Philadelphia High School 

2101 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19148

215-952-2725

Eliza B. Kirkbride School:
1501 S. 7th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

215-459-5572

Edwin M. Stanton School:
1700 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19146

267-334-9822

Southwark School:
1835 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148

215-910-2528

Science Leadership Academy Middle School:

3610 Warren Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

215-833-4817

George W. Nebinger School 

601 Carpenter St. Philadelphia PA 19147

267-683-4728

Guion S. Bluford Elementary School

5720 Media St. 
Philadelphia, PA 19131

267-231-4827

F. Amadee Bregy

School

1700 Bigler St, Philadelphia, PA 19145

267-995-0382

Samuel Powel School 

3610 Warren St
Philadelphia, PA 19104 

215-833-4817

Christ Lutheran Church Upper Darby
7240 Walnut Street

Upper Darby, PA 19082

445-776-4538

Thomas G. Morton

School

2501 S 63rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19142

445-942-8547

Blankenburg Elementary School

4600 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131

445-238-2608

Barry Elementary School

5900 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19139

445-221-2336

George A. McCall

Elementary School

325 S 7th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

267- 683-1468

Sunrise of Philadelphia, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of Sunrise of Philadelphia, Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. Sunrise of Philadelphia, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Care Provider.

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