Have you ever wondered how your childhood experiences have shaped who you are today mentally, emotionally, and even physically? Have you thought about how your students' current experiences are contributing to who they will become? “The Deepest Well” is the culmination of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’ extensive research in and experiences with the ways in which childhood trauma affects development of the brain and can lead to long-term health problems. Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, affect more than half of the population and 1 in 6 adults have four or more ACEs, putting them at higher risk for significant health issues like depression, diabetes, cancer, and more. This book study will bring the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences to light. As educators, we can work together to come up with ways to support the students and families we work with experiencing ACEs at home. This course is appropriate for anyone and everyone. We have all experiences ACEs personally and/or care about someone who has.

Required Text:

• The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Identify the ten adverse childhood experiences considered in determining one’s ACE score.
• Recognize the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and long-term physical and mental health.
• Determine strategies to create a trauma-sensitive learning environment to support students coming to school with varying degrees of ACE scores.