Meet our Panelists!
Statistically we know that most young people (61.8%) report experiencing at least 1 potentially traumatic event before the age of 16, and approximately 1/3 of our students have experienced 4 or more adverse childhood experiences.
Therefore, as the only universal safety net, it is up to schools to both understand the effects of trauma on the brain and be prepared to address it in holistic, restorative ways.
To give educators and school leaders an introduction to this topic--which is often left out of teacher education programs-- The Institute for Anti-Racist Education will host How Trauma Manifests in the Classroom on Monday, August 10, 2020 at 7pm EST.
Our Panelists
Britney Foster, MSW, MDiv, is the Chief Executive Officer for Trajectory of Hope, LLC. She currently works at an all-boys parochial high school in Watts, California. In the past she has worked as a counselor in both the elementary and high school settings. In addition, she has experience working as a Dean of Students for an elementary school. In working as an administrator, Britney worked directly with student discipline issues and directly saw the impact it had on the whole school community, while working with all parties involved teachers, students, parents, and support staff. Britney helped organize and implement restorative practices at the school as an alternative to suspensions. Britney has over the years collected stories and narrative from whole school communities surrounding discipline outcomes and its effects on both students and educators. With this passion Britney has co-founded an organization, Trajectory of Hope which works from the inside out to demystify how the legacy of racism and injustice in America impacts Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Britney has worked also as an Emergency Response Children’s Social Worker for the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles helping some of the most vulnerable children in difficult family life circumstances. Most recently Britney obtained her Masters in Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. She is interested in the intersectionality of faith, social welfare, education, and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Troya L. Ellis. Ed.D. is the Chief Operating Officer for Trajectory of Hope, LLC. She has worked in the field of education for over ten years in urban communities with historically underserved students and families that are often voiceless. Troya started her work in Long Beach Unified School District and has since worked in Los Angeles Unified, Compton Unified and Aspire Public Schools. Over the years, She has worked as a school psychologist, but operated as a special education leader working collaboratively with teams and families to assure everyone's voice is heard. She has supervised school psychologist interns and practicum students, and operated as a professional learning community (PLC) facilitator. She has imparted her experience with families and school teams to students earning their master’s and teaching credential in special education as well as students earning a master’s in school counseling and school psychology as an adjunct professor. Most recently, she earned an Ed.D. from the University of Southern California (USC) in educational leadership with a research focus on teacher engagement practices that reduce negative discipline outcomes for Black male students. Additionally, Troya co-founded an organization Trajectory of Hope which works from the inside out to demystify how the legacy of racism and injustice in America impacts Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
Taylor Stewart, MDiv is a counseling psychology doctoral student at Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Her research focuses on racial trauma and race-related stress, spiritual and religious coping, and psychological interventions for students of Color at predominantly White institutions of higher learning. She is a researcher for the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture. Taylor received her B.A. in Psychology and B.A. in English from Wellesley College. She received her M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, where she concentrated in spiritual care and counseling. She has worked as a chaplain and advisor for Black college students, a personal development coach for high school students, and in college mental health counseling. Taylor has offered workshops on stress and anxiety management, spiritual wellness, and coping with racial trauma. She has also hosted events centered on race and culture for college students.
Moderator: Ashley Y. Lipscomb, MA, MDiv
