Welcome to the Healing-Centered Engagement & Trauma-Informed Education Conference
August 13, 2026
Location: West Chester University in West Chester, PA in the Science and Engineering Complex and Commons
A transformative event centered on healing, resilience, and equity in education and social service settings.
This conference offers a space to explore innovative, strength-based, and culturally responsive approaches to trauma-informed education. Together, we will shift from focusing solely on trauma to emphasizing healing-centered engagement—approaches that honor the whole person and prioritize community care, empowerment, and holistic well-being.
This conference will offer presentations, workshops, and panel discussions that reflect diverse perspectives and practices, including research-based insights, practical strategies, and interactive experiences. In addition to traditional sessions, we will feature well-being activities such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and massage—supporting the emotional and physical health of our attendees.
This year’s conference themes Include:
- Shifting from Trauma-Informed to Healing-Centered Approaches
- Moving beyond trauma to focus on strengths, agency, and possibilities
- Holistic Well-Being
- Integrating mind, body, and spirit into education and counseling practices
- Community & Collective Healing
- Centering healing in schools and social service spaces
- Supportive & Strength-Based Practices
- Culturally inclusive strategies and traditional healing approaches
- Creating Safe & Empowering Learning Spaces
- Restorative justice, student voice, and alternatives to punitive discipline
- Emotional & Collective Well-Being
- Mindfulness, peer support, and community engagement in recovery
- Action-Oriented, Future-Focused Learning
- Project-based approaches, creativity, and resilience-building strategies
This conference is more than an event—it's a movement toward healing-centered education and care that uplifts individuals and strengthens communities.
Join us in creating spaces of hope, growth, and collective restoration.
Registration
The cost includes continental breakfast and lunch.
- Early Registration – January 1 – February 28, 2026 - $75
- Regular Registration – March 1 – July 1, 2026 - $100
- Late Registration July 2 – August 10, 2026 - $150.
- No onsite registration.
Hotel
The Desmond
One Liberty Blvd, Malvern, PA 19355
$174 per night
13 miles and 20 minutes from campus
Hotel Warner
120 North High St., West Chester, PA 1938
$139 for a queen bed; $149 for a king bed
1.2 miles or 6 minute drive from campus (roughly a 20 minute walk)
This hotel does not have a specific booking link but you can use the link above and
request WCU block, or call 610-692-6920.
Hotel Indigo West Chester
39 E. Gay St., West Chester, PA 19380
$209
1.2 miles or 6 minute drive from campus (roughly a 20 minute walk)