Building resilience

Trauma-Sensitive School Initiative

St. Mark Center holds to the belief that people who are taught to become strong will be unstoppable. We believe that the more we give someone the confidence to believe they can, the more they will.

For children who have experienced trauma, their resilience is key to not only to healing, but thriving beyond adversity. As a direct response to the prevalence of trauma and adversity in urban communities, our goal is to infuse resilience-building into all facets of our school culture.

Because teaching children who may have experienced trauma takes special care and knowledge, our faculty participates in Trauma Sensitive Schools training led by mental health experts at Truman Medical Centers. Generously funded by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, the training helps teachers learn strategies and tools for promoting mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and creative problem-solving that students can model both in the classroom and at home.