Addressing Eco and Climate Anxiety With Trauma Informed Practices

Introduction to Trauma and the Environmental Crisis AND Environmental and Climate Aligned Trauma Informed Practices (TIP) for Educators and Schools: 

• This introductory resource provides definitions, research, frameworks, and tools for exploring how environmental issues and climate impacts connect to physical, social, and emotional trauma. 

• The resources also includes how educators can integrate environmental and climate aligned trauma informed practices into classrooms and school communities to address and prevent these impacts. 

Integrating Environmental Literacy and Climate Resilience into School Based Trauma Informed Practices (TIP): The San Mateo County Office of Education's (SMCOE) Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative (ELSI) has developed a crosswalk resource that that shows how educators and schools can integrate the 4Cs Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Whole Systems Approach into the UCSF HEARTS Trauma-Informed Practices Framework. 

The Climate Mental Health Network addresses the mental health consequences of climate change through community engagement and by harnessing the power of media and technology.  They curate research, and sponsor webinars that provide background and resources for educators to be empowered to address eco and climate anxiety with students. 

 The following are webinars and podcasts that highlight the important issue of integrating trauma informed practices into environmental and climate literacy efforts, as well as webinars and podcasts that advocate for integrating environmental and climate literacy as a form of trauma informed practice. 

• Talking with Green Teachers Podcast -  Episode 47 - Climate Literacy and Resilience: Talking with Green Teachers features discussions with environmental educators from around the globe. This episode features Andra Yeghoian taking a deep dive on the part of her work that is focused on taking a trauma-informed approach to climate literacy. 

• NAAEE eeInspire Monthly Webinar Series - Climate Emotions in Education: NAAEE’s eeInspire monthly webinar series hosted a national webinar focused around environmental and climate change education in a way that avoids traumatizing students, and instead facilitates emotional resilience and empowers them to take action. Guest speakers shared strategies of how to support students deal with feelings of anxiety, grief, anger, and hopelessness. View video here. 

• Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) -  Climate Emotions Matter Webinar: Research shows that students overwhelmingly struggle with a range of climate emotions from both learning about climate change and direct environmental disasters experiences. This workshop, facilitated by the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) shows how schools and teachers can help students become more emotionally resilient in the face of climate change.

Trauma Informed Nature Connection Activities: This document provides examples of supplemental trauma informed practices you could do with students to help foster a connection with nature, and to support students to process emotions during an emotionally triggering lesson about the environment or social justice issues. 

Solutionary and Environmental Books: This book list (and some videos) provides examples of solutionary stories of action and advocacy, or are books that explore environmental themes. Reading these stories with children and youth and engaging in a meaningful discussion is a great trauma informed practice. The curated list includes a number of sections: 

• Solutionary Action Themed Books

• General Environmental Themed Books

• Climate Themed Books

• Environmental Justice Books

• Environmental Books by Topic: Energy, Water, Waste, Land Ecosystems, Transportation, and Food

• Systems Thinking Books

Integrating Environmental Literacy and Climate Resilience into School Based Trauma Informed Practices (TIP): This crosswalk of resources (developed by the San Mateo County Office of Education) includes a number of activities and actions that can be taken across the campus, curriculum, community, and culture.

• Kindergarten - Jadelyn Chang: Becoming a Problem Solver is a Trauma Informed Practice (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 1st - Kimber Trefero: Using a Let's Make a Difference Mindset (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 2nd - Sarah Hartman: Using a Solutionary Lens to Teach Environmental Justice (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 2nd - Rachel Haynes: How One 2nd Grader's Story Inspired Climate Justice Curriculum (From Rethinking Schools)

• Fourth - Jennifer Young: Addressing Big Emotions with Solutionary Problem Solving (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• Fourth and Fifth - Sonia Meyers: Solutionary Work and Advocacy at the Forefront (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 6-8 - Charu Gulati: Fostering Empathy, Leadership, and Environmental Stewardship (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 7th - Corinna Low: Tapping into the Power of Emotions (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 8th - Habiba Naqvi: From Classroom Learning to Community Impact (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 7-12 - Beth Kassler: Growing Hope and Creating a Better Future (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 9-12 Social Studies - Rhonda Clements: Flipping the Narrative, Marking Heavy Information Powerful (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 9th Science - Matthew Sahagun: Addressing the Day The Sky Was Orange in Science Class (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)

• 12th English - Matt Clemens: Navigating the Climate Crisis in English Class is a Moral Responsibility (From SMCOE's Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program)