Help Launch NWA’s Future Leaders
With NWA Gives coming up April 4th, we’ve been talking A TON about our public schools project, T.I.E.R.S. It stands for Trauma Informed Educators Reaching Students–and we are so excited about the way we’ve seen teachers and school administrators feel encouraged and equipped to support and guide our community’s future leaders.
Can we show you some videos that demonstrate our passion for NWA’s education system?
We are passionate about this project because we’ve seen that the strain of stress and trauma on NWA teachers is higher than ever–creating high turnover and preventing students from getting what they need.
We know thriving schools create thriving communities. And yet, 90% of educators indicate burnout to be a “somewhat serious” or “very serious” issue.
In addition, students continue to be exposed to poverty and traumatic experiences in alarming numbers, inhibiting their ability to learn.
We knew we had to do something about this.
Recognizing that the needs of students and teachers continue to grow in volume and complexity, the Walton Family Foundation reached out to Gap Relief in the spring of 2022 with an invitation—
to develop and pilot a comprehensive program that equips teachers with both the resources they need for their own resiliency and the resiliency of their students.
We. Said. Yes.
Leaning on the experience of team members who have worked directly in the education system, consulting with area educators and administrators, and drawing on evidence-based practices—we developed the TIERS program and began piloting it in August 2022.
The T.I.E.R.S. Program Includes:
Resources for teacher strain and burnout
Practical strategies for engaging students who have experienced stress and trauma
The blueprint for developing a school culture that promotes safety, healing, and growth
As of March 2024, we have equipped 7 teams of educators who directly impact thousands of students in Northwest Arkansas...and we hope this is just the beginning.
Words like “relief”, “not alone”, “practical”, and “hope” are some of many we hear when participants describe their experience.
We believe it’s true that with the right resources for teachers—safety goes up, strain and turnover go down, and NWA will lead the way as a cutting-edge community.
