VIRTUAL SESSIONS

To AEN’s credit, it is clear from facilitators’ comments and participant feedback that they were able to maintain the integrity of the content and the spirit of the in-person experience, while revising, strengthening, and condensing the schedule to fit the needs of an online audience in the throes of volatility, uncertainty, complex and ambiguous times. As AEN built capacity to offer high-quality professional development, they also modeled effective online practices for teachers, educators, and clinicians, and showcased arts-based trauma-informed and healing-centered activities (TIC/HCE).

Surveys of the presentations and resources for the 18 cohorts reveal two- and threesession online training series that were thoughtfully and respectfully programmed to respond to disparate locations, different audiences, and changing schedules. Several key elements were modified and strengthened to emphasize new information and respond to changing contexts, adjustments were made as Zoom functions improved, and new presenters brought new perspectives to the individual segments and workshops.

For most of the cohorts, the structure of the three-part training series remained the same:

�� “Trauma 101” focused on What is trauma, Why trauma and the arts, and introduced creative practices that are intrinsically trauma-informed.

�� “Digging Deep Through the Arts” offered deeper knowledge about trauma and the brain, the importance of self-care, and arts practices for self-care.

�� “Building Resilience Through the Arts” provided information about Historical Trauma and Resiliency, reviewed concepts of trauma-informed care and healing-centered principles, and overlaps with social and emotional learning (SEL), culturally-responsive teaching, and art standards, and more arts and creative strategies were experienced and recognized for explicit trauma-informed and healing-centered qualities.

�� Each of the sessions provided an arts-based experience modeling trauma-informed and healing-centered practices.

Although there was much less time than in the original inperson series, the repeated routines and rituals were an important strategy to build and maintain a sense of community and connection in the online community.

�� Check-ins: All sessions included a check-in about how participants were feeling and how they wanted to feel. These were valuable opportunities to take stock, acknowledge, share and empathize with colleagues. The facilitators modeled different creative strategies (e.g., going beyond emojis to find pictures of animals, celebrities, and pop stars to illustrate feelings) and fun.