The purpose of this study was to understand how middle school teachers cope with trauma. Case studies were employed with four middle school teachers. The findings from this study illuminated the unique experiences of rural middle school teachers. These findings highlight significant gaps in how teachers are supported and respond to stress and…

Background: Youth-serving organizations in the United States provide programs, activities, and opportunities for young people before school, during school, after school, in summer, and on weekends. At the core of youth-serving organizations are the adults; that is, youth development staff. Objective: In this explanatory sequential mixed methods…

Teacher retention has long been a problem, but recent escalations in retention rates across the country have districts scrambling to correct the problem through incentives such as increased pay and teacher workdays. However, the problem seems to be much deeper and goes beyond compensation. Research has suggested that teachers are inadequately…

It is well established that a high number of children experience a significant traumatic event by the time that they attend school. Teachers, therefore, work with trauma-impacted students on a regular basis as they execute the duties required of their occupation. Although ongoing and frequent exposure to students experiencing trauma is a known…

Mixed-methods were used to investigate treatment outcomes for youth enrolled in an innovative sports-based group therapy intervention. Chart review was conducted for 65 youth, aged 5 to 13 years over one academic year at an elementary school serving high-needs youth in an urban district. Analysis revealed symptom reduction for 72% of participants.…

As the national youth mental health crisis continues to impact campuses, HBCUs have not been immune. Despite the critical role HBCUs play in providing safety and social mobility for Black students, the ways in which they address student mental health well-being remain underexplored. To that end, this study explored the lived experiences of mental…

In this article, we describe the process we adopted in designing a financial education intervention situated within the cultural and systemic realities of structural racism in Black communities and offer new insights on conducting financial education that addresses healing from ethno-racial trauma. We adopted a community-based participatory…

The role of a resident assistant is complex and multi-faceted, requiring a unique blend of strong interpersonal skills and professional decorum. By contrast, little is known about the depth of self-care needed to mitigate the impact of the role on resident assistants' quality of life. This exploratory mixed-methods research project seeks to…

High school students need Social Emotional learning integrated into classrooms, but what that looks like is not well defined for art educators. When one tries to look, most research points to art therapy strategies which leave art educators feeling ill-equipped to implement in their classrooms. This study explored the implementation of visual…

Research indicates the need for children performing below grade level in reading to receive additional support in summer months. However, little research has been done related to utilizing preservice teachers during those months in the form of a supplemental field experience. Investigating the experiences of undergraduate students majoring in…

While educators may be well positioned to support unaccompanied immigrant youth, there is limited interdisciplinary research focused on understanding the complexity of youth's experiences in US schools. The purpose of this qualitative, interview-based study was to better understand how youth's transnational experiences pre-, during, and…

Two of the most important aspects of a health education teacher's work are to meet the needs of all students in their classes and to create a safe space in which those students feel supported and valued. This charge often brings to mind ensuring safe spaces for students related to aspects of their identity, such as their gender identity,…

The purpose of this study was to determine how trauma-informed approaches in an urban elementary school art room can foster empowerment in students who have been exposed to trauma and have developed Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders. I implemented a pedagogy focused on promoting empowerment through art making, then collected data on the…

Resident Assistants (RAs) are often faced with working and living among residents who are struggling, in distress, and, at times, in crisis. This article provides a primer on identifying residents in crisis as well as the tasks faced when working with students in transition and crisis. A discussion of the prevalence of distress reported by…

While the usual transitional concerns will be present when schools reopen, it is anticipated that this fall's return to school will be particularly challenging. Teachers and administrators should operate on the assumption that everyone, (students, families and staff) will have experienced some degree of anxiety and stress, uncertainty, illness,…