Resiliency A Whole School Approach April 22, 2013 Peter C. Murrell, Jr., PhD Rachel Carlson, MAT Jessica Strauss, MPhil, MSW ACTS Spring Symposium

Video: Jeff Duncan-Andrade 8s

Approaches to Trauma We have many approaches to trauma. We also have systematic ways of engaging children and youth holistically. What we don’t have – mobilization of community capacity for the cultivation of well being and development.

Core Focus Building Resilience in Children and Youth and Building Resiliency in Schools, Families and Communities How should we mobilize to best serve Baltimore’s children and youth?

Resilience “the rose in the concrete...” Resilience is the construct referring to those capacities that undergird individuals draw on to thrive, survive, and engage in optimal performance and develop, despite the stress and adverse conditions.

Resiliency “cultivation in the concrete” Resiliency, in our framework, is the maintenance and continuous development of the practices and experiences that foster resilience. Resiliency refers to resilience in action (“agency”) which is built into, and built from, the social environment in which kids learn, grow, develop and interact.

Glen Richardson’s Three Waves First Wave: Resilient Qualities Second Wave: The Resiliency Process Third Wave: Cultivating Resilience

Resilient children are made, not born… Children become resilient as a result of the patterns of stress and of nurturing they experience early on in life… (p. 38) - Perry and Szalavitz Our Work in the Third Wave

Critical Distinction Between Resilience and Resiliency A distinction between being and doing A distinction between the state of an individual and that individual-in-action, individual-in-context. Cultivation of agency and ethical identity as a core of agency. Situated development of social identity and ethical agency.

Comprehensive Framework Importance of cultural practices of a new common culture in schools; Need to cultivate among adults the capacity to enter into a developmental alliance with children and youth; Acting on what we know in a concerted, comprehensive cultivating community Create solidarity (not merely sympathy) with underserved children and families; Account for social context at all levels.

Why respond to complex trauma with whole- school resilient culture? Prevalence of trauma Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study – impact of trauma on physical health learning, social-emotional and attachment National Task Force on the Education of African-American Males What do we make of these findings?

Maslow: A Foundational Perspective Strong approaches must consider… Ecological Systems Theory Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems (PVEST)

Making Sense as a Cultural Practice (Murrell, 2007) “the arrogance of not knowing what it is that they do not know, yet they speak as if they know what all of us need to know…” – ‘peculiar arrogance’ (Asane, 1987) Understanding schools as culturally and racially myopic spaces Critical Race Theory – Unintentional racism --> microaggressions – Racialized social practices that inscribe trauma Poverty, class, ethnicity, race -- intersectionality

Community Schools: Process of whole-school development Collective study o Features/sources of trauma and stress o Sources of resilience for children, adults  Collaborative analysis and planning o Share vision and focus of work o Prioritize and develop partnerships  Continuous reflection and oversight  Share leadership  Share accountability

Four features of intervention Individual and collective capacity by focusing on: Identity o Who am I in this environment? Awareness of self and others; social- emotional learning; cultural legacies. Connectedness o What are my positive relationships? Social skills, conflict resolution; building networks of practical and spiritual resources. Communication o How do I communicate with others? Literacy, listening skills, arts and expression Agency o What change can I make on my own and what change can we accomplish together? Advocacy, organizing, collaborating

What changes? Common Practices o Daily activities in classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, fields, streets, homes: e.g. relaxation time, “daily rap,” customs, conventions o How we treat one another, speak, behave  Programmatic interventions  Arts and self-expressive programs  Grief groups, mental health services  Peer mediation, student activism/civic leadership

Changes we expect to see  Students doing better  Improved indicators of school climate  Improved student personal, social and academic engagement  Parents as co-educators  Students as community leaders  Long-term improvements in safety, attendance, promotion, graduation

What do you think?  Inspired by…  Intrigued by…  Concerned by…  Suggestions? o Specific sources of trauma, generalized impact of community stress, school-specific stress o Indicators of success

Our Panel Dr. Adanna J. Johnson-Evans Assistant Professor of Psychology Loyola University Maryland Jarrod Bolte Interim Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Baltimore City Public Schools Atman Smith Co-Founder, Holistic Life Foundation, Inc.

Contact Us: Peter Murrell Rachel Carlson Jessica Strauss Alliance for Community Teachers and Schools Thank you for your interest.