Helper Sectors: Educators
At Gap Relief, we focus our trauma-informed training and therapeutic services within the career sectors that keep our communities safe, that say “yes” to hard things, and that intentionally stand in the fire of pain, stress, and trauma for the good of the community. Those are the helpers we want to serve.
In the coming weeks, we want to spend some time highlighting these different sectors and the difficulties they face in serving their local and global communities.
One of our favorite sectors to work with is the education system! We see educators on the front lines of our community. They are in up close and personal contact with the next generation, which ultimately impacts everything in front of us.
In recent years, we've seen them be asked to hold more and more. They are trained as teachers, but then they often end up playing the role of nurse, counselor, or even a parent at times. They must be soft and nurturing for the kids they serve, but remain hyper-vigilant and tactical as they manage many personalities and learning styles. They must also remain aware of the signs of any potential danger their students may be facing at home or unfortunately, at school as well. They are handed rules and guidelines from individuals and systems who often do not fully understand their jobs and have to hold those in balance with fighting for the kids they work with day-in and day-out.
Research shows that the health of schools is directly related to the health of their communities at large. Even more research tells us that education quality is directly related to incarceration rates, alcohol abuse rates, and more as these kids go forward. Clearly, the impact of our educators is HUGE and widespread. The health of these educators is absolutely imperative to their ability to not only teach our kids the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the world, but also to launch healthy and well-rounded kids into the world.
Schools and teachers being equipped to hand the next generation what they need is a big deal. These educators are VITAL, but their stress levels are astronomical. So going toward them and holding up their arms in their “yes” allows them to equip the next generation and build healthy and trauma-informed experiences into them where they can grow into adults who are more resourced and know how to face challenges with those resources.
We love going toward these educators with our T.I.E.R.S. program. We are fundraising $35,000 to ensure that this program remains fully-funded. We will be adding 3 schools to our 2024-2025 program, as well as leaning into the opportunity to speak with administrators and district personnel on a higher level about better systemic trauma education for Northwest Arkansas schools.
We need your help to do this! If you would like to partner with Gap Relief in the Trauma Informed Educators Reaching Students Program, please click the button below and join us!
