Allambi Care's Fiona Waites shines at the Trauma-Aware Education Conference 2024

How does trauma impact learning in Australian educational settings? This question was at the heart of the Trauma-Aware Education Conference 2024, where Fiona Waites from Allambi Care's Tact team joined over 930 attendees to explore research, ideas and enhance outcomes for vulnerable students. 

Hosted by the Queensland University of Technology, the conference gathered educators, policymakers, and researchers to tackle how trauma impacts learning in Australian schools. The event showcased workshops, panel discussions, and keynotes on topics like the effects of trauma on brain development and behaviour, creating responsive classroom environments, and supporting students facing challenges like family violence, natural disasters, and socio-economic hardship.

Contributing to the conversation
Fiona attended for the second time since 2022, and this year presented on impactful strategies that help schools become trauma-responsive. Her two contributions included:

1. Collaborative insights: A co-presentation with Lyn Harland, Principal of Carinity Glenlee QLD, on embedding the six domains of the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) framework into school culture to drive practical, trauma-responsive change.
2. Rethinking classroom spaces: A thought-provoking poster titled "Ecology of Caring and Responsive Classrooms", which offered tangible adjustments to classroom environments to minimise challenging behaviours and reduce traumatic stress responses