Author:
Yuliia Didenko
The Voices of Children Charitable Foundation conducted a series of training sessions for educators in ten educational institutions across Ukraine as part of the President’s initiative Bring Kids Back UA, in cooperation with partners and with the support of UNICEF.
In total, approximately 300 teachers and caregivers completed the training during 10 sessions. Specialists from Voices of Children taught educators how to recognize signs of trauma in children and provide safe support without exhausting their own emotional resources.
In total, approximately 300 teachers and caregivers completed the training during 10 sessions. Specialists from Voices of Children taught educators how to recognize signs of trauma in children and provide safe support without exhausting their own emotional resources.
The war has affected every Ukrainian family. Children have experienced shelling, evacuation, separation from loved ones, and the loss of their homes. Many have returned from occupation or deportation. And all of them come to school, a place where they should feel safe.
But how can a teacher understand that sudden aggression or withdrawal may be caused by trauma? How can they offer support without burning themselves out? And how can a learning environment be created where children can gradually recover? These were the questions addressed together with educators during the training titled “Trauma-Informed Approach in Working with Children.”
But how can a teacher understand that sudden aggression or withdrawal may be caused by trauma? How can they offer support without burning themselves out? And how can a learning environment be created where children can gradually recover? These were the questions addressed together with educators during the training titled “Trauma-Informed Approach in Working with Children.”
Four Hours of Practice That Change the Way Educators Work
The training program consisted of four hours of in-person practice plus six hours of independent study. Within this time, participants covered a wide range of topics. The sessions began by creating a safe space within the group itself, acknowledging that educators deserve support, too. The training then moved on to foundational knowledge about stress and trauma: what trauma is, how it manifests itself in children of different ages, and why the same event can trigger very different reactions.
A significant part of the training focused on educators themselves. Participants openly discussed professional burnout and secondary traumatization, when those helping others begin to feel depleted themselves. Together, they explored resources that help maintain inner resilience. Educators created their own “phrases of strength”—short supportive statements they could return to in difficult moments, and discussed stress-coping models.
A significant part of the training focused on educators themselves. Participants openly discussed professional burnout and secondary traumatization, when those helping others begin to feel depleted themselves. Together, they explored resources that help maintain inner resilience. Educators created their own “phrases of strength”—short supportive statements they could return to in difficult moments, and discussed stress-coping models.
During the practical component, participants examined the principles of psychological first aid, where the educator’s role ends, and the psychologist’s work begins, and what steps can be taken immediately to support a child in crisis. Real-life cases from participants’ own practice were also discussed, and safe response strategies were developed. Specialists from Voices of Children also trained educators in stabilization techniques to help children calm down and regain a sense of control.
A separate module focused specifically on the trauma-informed approach in education—a working philosophy based on six core principles: safety, trust, support, collaboration, empowerment of the child, and cultural sensitivity. Educators learned how to incorporate these principles into the learning process, including classroom setup and task formulation.
A separate module focused specifically on the trauma-informed approach in education—a working philosophy based on six core principles: safety, trust, support, collaboration, empowerment of the child, and cultural sensitivity. Educators learned how to incorporate these principles into the learning process, including classroom setup and task formulation.
The Foundation’s specialists work with the 4P model: People, Place, Process, and Program. In small groups, participants developed their own models for implementing a trauma-informed approach in their schools, tailored to their real-life conditions and capacities.
What Educators Say
The training was intensive, dynamic, and truly practical. The knowledge could be applied immediately in our work with students. We took part in movement-based exercises, case studies, and brainstorming sessions. This helped us relax, tune in, discuss risk indicators in children and response strategies, and compare our own experience with scientific data. The slides with support algorithms and guidance on communication with children in crisis situations were especially useful. We, the teaching staff of Boiarka Secondary School No. 1, are deeply grateful to the organizers of the training ‘Trauma-Informed Approach in Working with Children’,
This was an incredibly valuable event; we gained new knowledge and practical tools that can be immediately applied in daily work with children who have lived through the trauma of war. The interactive exercises, discussion of real cases, and pair work were especially effective. They helped us better understand children’s emotional states, responses to stress and trauma, and the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment. After the training, we felt professionally enriched and emotionally renewed. The teaching staff of “Intellect” Lyceum of the Dolyna City Council sincerely thanks the trainers from the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation,
The training sessions are part of a large-scale effort to support children returning home after occupation or deportation. Educators who complete the training become vital links in a larger chain of care. We hope they now have a better understanding of their students’ experiences and will pass this knowledge on to colleagues, parents, and other adults in a child’s life. In this way, we collectively build a values-based support network, where an entire community speaks the language of care and safety.
The project titled “Strengthening Comprehensive Reintegration Support for Returning Children” is implemented within the reintegration component of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, in partnership with the Coordination Center for the Development of Family-Based Upbringing and Child Care. It is carried out by a consortium of organizations: CSO Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights, ICF SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine, ICF Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, NGO League of Social Workers of Ukraine, CF Save Ukraine, and CF Voices of Children, with the support of UNICEF and funding from Canada, Norway, and the United States.
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