ATN’s Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference 2019 exceeded expectations in so many ways The program grew from just over 500 attendees last year to over 1200 educators this year from every state in the US and several countries around the world. Over 70 workshops were full (sometimes too full) and conference-goers could take advantage of 11 Deep Dive sessions (3-hour workshops that looked deeper into a topic, strategy or intervention). Attendees also had a whole track of workshops and a dedicated area on Self-Care area where they could try out strategies and tools for themselves or for their students, as well as an exhibit hall brimming with products, books and services to help school systems on the way to becoming trauma-informed.
Our Sunday night ice cream social crowd was inspired by Dr. Allison Jackson’s “Call to Connection: Making Childhood Trauma Personal.”
Dr. Melissa Sadin kicked off the conference with “Trauma-Informed Schools: A Cultural Revolution”, and the attendees were welcomed to Washington DC by Councilmember David Gross. At lunch, Dr. Mona Johnson’s authentic keynote address “Fostering Professional Resilience and Social Emotional Wellness while Navigating Workplace Trauma,” delivered the important message of self-care.
Attendees used our conference app to help them navigate the many workshop choices and overwhelmingly reported that this was one of the BEST education conferences they’ve attended. Over 100 speakers and 75 volunteers helps to make CTSS2019 a rousing success!
ATN is already gearing up for CTSS2020 which will be held in Atlanta, GA at the Hyatt Regency, February 16-18, 2020. We’re expecting more attendees, more workshops and some very exciting keynotes and extra activities.
