This workshop will provide an introduction to understanding the effects adverse childhood events have on learning and steps to take in order to create a trauma-aware environment. Educators have long understood the stages of child development and have linked learning goals and strategies to this understanding. What we haven't known until recently is how adverse childhood experiences affect brain development. We now know that chemicals released during periods of extreme distress disrupt early brain development and compromise the functioning of the nervous and immune systems. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one out of every 4 children attending any given school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior. By becoming trauma-sensitive, we can guide schools to becoming a caring and safe environment where all children are able to learn.