Pictured above: Gaelin Elmore (far left); Panel of Amherst Regional High School students
On November 30th, 2024, the Office of Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan and the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Franklin County/North Quabbin and Hampshire County hosted the 10th Annual Safe and Healthy School Summit at Greenfield Community College.
The Summit’s theme, “Empowering Belonging, Connection, & Learning,” emphasized a trauma-informed approach to supporting young people in schools. The summit kicked off with Keynote Speaker, Gaelin Elmore. He gave a powerful speech about how his different childhood experiences affected him, especially related to the impact of trust in relationship-building. His speech was followed by a panel of superintendents speaking on the topic of school climate. The Summit offered a series of educational breakout sessions to attend, before the day was closed by a panel of Amherst Regional High School students, entitled, “How We Belong.”
The Summit was highlighted in the Greenfield Recorder article, “Greenfield Community College hosts Safe and Healthy School Summit.” The article notes, “Building trust with kids who have faced trauma and adversity, Elmore argued, must be done by showing compassion, authenticity, resilience and empowerment, shortened with his acronym ‘CARE.’ He emphasized that some children might reject offers for help out of a lack of trust for adults, but that trust is built with patience and consistency.”
To view the recording of the Keynote Address (Gaelin Elmore), click here.
To view the recording of the “School Climate and Culture Panel”, click here.
To view the recording of the “How We Belong: Youth Panel”, click here.