Conference on a trauma-informed approach offered practical advice

Foreign guests, expert knowledge, practical advice and a great atmosphere in a packed hall at the Old Town Hall. That was the short version of the international conference Trauma-Friendly Approach as the Key to a Supportive School Environment, which took place on 10 May 2023 in Prague.

The PorT project conference, which brought together 85 participants from the education and social sectors, offered mainly topics related to supportive environments in schools.

The conference was opened with presentations by the Government Commissioner for Human Rights Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, the Chair of the Society for All (SOFA) Lenka Felcmanová and Branislava Marvánová Vargová from the ROSA Centre.

Participants also had the opportunity to meet unique international speakers such as Kaja Naes Johannessen, one of Europe's foremost experts on trauma respectful approaches. Her contribution provided concrete tips on how to make learning more enjoyable and effective not only for students but also for teachers. Brain breaks are in fact very important for the brain's ability to learn. Visitors to the conference were able to see their benefits in a practical demonstration.

Heather Peshak George and Steve Goodman, long-time SOFA collaborators and Positive Behavioral Intervention Support System (PBIS) experts, accepted the invitation from the USA. The talk by neurobiologist Jessica Pfeiffer, who spoke about creating optimal learning environments using neuroscience knowledge, could easily be one of the great talks we know from TED talks.

Not only Eszter Harsányi, Robert Porzak and Zuzana Krnáčová spoke about how they address trauma in schools in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

If you missed the conference or want to remind yourself of the great presentations of the speakers, we offer you a video recording of the whole day.