International Summit on Collective Trauma
"Invisible Scars, Visible Science: Bridging Gaps in Trauma Awareness"
August 15, 2025
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time USA
On-site Location: Gateway Church, 160 Cowan Rd. Parkesburg, PA 19365.

 
Join educators, clergy, social workers, lawyers, law enforcement agents, mental health professionals, medical professionals, business and community leaders, child advocates, and elected officials to connect around current trauma research and pressing mental health topics. Expect a dynamic day of interdisciplinary speakers, panels, workshops, and lived experience storytelling.  Act 48 credits for PA educators and other professional CEUs are available.
Agenda
8:00 – 9:00           Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15            Opening 
9:15 – 9:55             The Science of Trauma
10:00 – 10:55        Spirituality and Trauma
11:00 – 11:55          Grief and Trauma
12:00 – 12:35        Lunch 
12:40 – 1:25           Interconnectivity/ School Discipline/Trauma/and Society
1:30 – 2:15             Collective Trauma/Community Trauma
2:20 – 3:15            Relationship/Empathy & Resilience
3:20 – 3:50           The Arts of Self care
3:50 – 4:00           Integration and Direction Setting 
   

• REGISTRATION FEE – ON SITE: Attendees - $45 – Includes Continental Breakfast and Lunch
• REGISTRATION FEE – VIRTUAL:  USA Attendees $35 -Summit link will be emailed to you on August 13.
• REGISTRATION – INTERNATIONAL ATTENDEES – Email  [email protected]  and request CODE for international registration. Once you have the CODE, go to the registration link.
• CLICK HERE TO REGISTER   
• Registration by mail available upon request
• Email [email protected]  with questions or special requests

EVENT PARTNERS
TRAUMA INFORMED EDUCATION COALITION (TIEC), THE CAMPBELL CENTER,
GATEWAY CHURCH, PARKESBURG, PA AND BETHANY AME CHURCH, PARKESBURG, PA
TIEC: www.traumainschool.org     [email protected]

​The Science of Trauma 
Joan Duvall-Flynn, Ed.D.

​​This presentation gives the foundation for understanding trauma as a medical condition and its impact on students, educators, other individuals, as well as society as a whole. It examines the ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) study and is designed for educators, and other professionals and organizations that service  children and their families.

More Joy, Less Stress!
How Relationships Mitigate the Impact of Trauma in Classroom
​Chris Pugliese, Ed.D.

​The Relational Bank Account: Investing in Positive Teacher-Student Relationships. Relationships in schools have a profound impact on the well-being, achievement, and retention of both students and teachers. Despite their critical importance, most teachers receive little to no training on how to develop positive relationships with their students. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about the real-time, relational skills coaching program that is strengthening teacher-student relationships and improving work satisfaction for teachers.

Effects of Trauma & Stress on Learning

Educators in a trauma-informed setting must fully understand the impacts of trauma in a developing student brain, as it relates to the ability of a student to learn. This session will review the impacts of trauma on student growth and how complex trauma and PTS symptoms impede in a young person’s ability to function in the classroom. This session will discuss best practices for creating trauma-informed learning spaces and how a trauma-informed approach to teaching can have profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, despite their trauma.

Secondary Trauma in the Workplace - Joan Duvall-Flynn, Ed.D.

Secondary Trauma, or Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), is the effect of indirect exposure to another’s trauma. Focusing on professional caregivers, this workshop will provide knowledge about workplace STS and its effects on those at increased risk, such as first responders, police officers, fire fighters, teachers, and child welfare, behavioral health, long term care, and emergency and critical care medical providers and the need to mitigate its effects through self-care and workplace resiliency programming.     

Racial Trauma - Christopher A. Barnes, PhD.

Race-based stressors that are experienced by People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) individuals cannot be ignored. Attendees will receive an unbiased explanation of racial-trauma, explore how it exist in our schools, and learn what teachers can do to mitigate these stressors when witnessed – whether you are an ally, bystander, or an ethnic minority. This presentation also includes an activity that explains the complexity of race-based stress and another that promotes an understanding of privilege without promoting a sense of shame in non-minority members. 

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                                  Implicit Bias - Cathy Taschner, Ed.D.​​

Implicit biases are pervasive. Everyone has them, even people with publicly admitted
commitments to impartiality such as judges. Left unchecked, our biases have the ability
to escalate into attitudes and behaviors that can cause intended or unintended harm to the
students and families we serve. The purpose of this presentation is to assist participants in developing the knowledge and skills we need as educators to be a threat to the existence
​of bias and inequity in our schools.

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Creating A Trauma Informed Classroom Or School​ - Marisa Taddonio, LSW, HVS & Lorraine C. Harmer, MLD, M.Ed.

Highlights include a discussion of universal design for learning, cultural competence, mitigating teacher trauma, and self-care. Participants will gain tools and strategies necessary to create a trauma-informed classroom, school, and/or district. Designed for teachers, administrators, and educational staff.

Mitigating The Impact of Hidden Trauma on Childhood Development - Thomas Singleton, MSW, LICDC, LSW​

This presentation identifies areas of hidden trauma of children, informs participants how hidden trauma impedes childhood development, and presents methods to mitigate the impact of hidden trauma of children facing homelessness, addicted parents, and parents burdened with re-entry

Clinical Practice: Integration of Knowledge in Trauma Information ​- Nicole G. Johnson, PhD., Angelle Richardson, PhD.​

Educators witness the impact of trauma on students daily in their classrooms. The unique needs of these students are often complex and require educators to be trained in trauma informed education practices. In this workshop, Drs. Johnson and Richardson will explore how to implement these practices interpersonally between educators and students.  ​

Relationship and Empathy - 

​How we are present for our students can be the solution to addressing many aspects of trauma. This team-taught training combines the introduction to and exploration of relationship building and empathy into a single engaging experience. The workshop provides the tools and skills that address how trauma can be viewed and mitigated through understanding empathy and relationships.

​​Non-Discrimination Statement

TIEC does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

Self-Care Policy

Trainings concerning emotional and psychological trauma may stir up disturbing memories of past experiences. TIEC trainings are provided as information resources only and are not to be used or relied on for diagnoses or any short-term or long-term treatments for stressors. Be sure to consult your organization’s self-care policies prior to completing any of our trainings in case a need arises.

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Participants are saying...
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"Thank you all for what you're doing for our children. I gained some great insight today."
​
"This conference was very eye opening and extremely informative. Thank you so much!"

"...please let me know when the panel will be presenting again."

"The speakers were extremely knowledgeable and shared a lot of great insight.

​"The panels covered the issues from multiple perspectives."

​"...left me with the impression this is a serious movement with great potential to create a better world."