ACO Educator Workshop
Trauma & Loss: Creating School Communites of Well-being

All teachers have children in their classrooms that are dealing with the impact of trauma and loss in their lives. Some through their journeys of foster care and adoption; others through immigration as refugees, violence in the home, conflict in parental separation and divorce, serious illness, or a death in the family.  Children and youth touched by foster care and adoption, in particular, have told us that they want a school environment that is positive, inclusive, safe and sensitive to their unique needs and life experiences. 

About Our Program

ACO worked collectively with youth, families, educators and other professionals to develop a workshop to assist educators in creating school communities of well-being for adopted and foster children, and other vulnerable children, who have been touched by trauma and loss. The Workshop was piloted with great success in May 2017 to a diverse group of Ontario educators.

ACO can accommodate large and small groups within a school community or across a school board. Our trainers are located in many regions of the province to be sensitive to local needs and facilitate this interactive workshop in communities/school boards.  

We all must work together to create environments in which children and youth who have experienced significant trauma and loss are able to thrive and heal.

Our kids deserve nothing less.

  [Download the Flyer]

Availability of the Workshop

Scheduled Workshops

The workshop is normally offered to educators in various Ontario cities in August each year.  Registration opens each June.  See our events page for more inforation on our upcoming schedule.  

Fees:  $75 per person

Upon Request

The workshop can also be delievered to any school or schoolboard as a Professional Activity day on request.  

Fees:  Full day workshop - $1500, plus travel costs

    Half day workshop - $900, plus travel costs

Special Parents Reaching Out Grant Sessions

From time to time we are awarded a Regional Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grant by the Ministry of Education. This enables us to host the half day version of the workshop for free.

Our PRO Seessions also include a Pizza Lunch and Community Resource Village of exhibitors, where everyone can connect and share resources. Limited child care spots are also available for kids aged 3 and up. 

This Spring our PRO funded Educator Workshops will be held in:

• Ottawa - Saturday, May 4, 2019
• London - Saturday, May 11, 2019

Fee: Free

Registration: Click here to register for Ottawa and here to register for London

Interested in being an Exhibitor at a PRO Session? Complete this form to sign-up.

If you're interested in applying for your own PRO grant to bring this workshop to your school, you can learn more about the program here.

CONTACT

If you would like more information about the workshop please contact ACO's Permanency and Adoption Competency Training Program at pact@adoptontario.ca.