Abstract

In any given environmental education program there are students who have experienced trauma, yet the field has not expanded to consider the particular needs of these students. This paper weaves together strands from psychology, education, and healthcare to outline the concept of trauma and how it manifests in students and to introduce a series of principles for trauma-informed environmental education. Trauma-informed environmental education is not a form of ecotherapy. Rather, it asks environmental educators to have an operational understanding of how trauma shows up in their students and to adopt approaches that have the highest likelihood of supporting these students as they learn and develop lasting bonds with nature. Environmental educators have the challenge of helping students experience trust and safety in nature even where trauma (including individual, systemic, and cultural) affects the ability of many students to connect and feel safe. Interdisciplinary collaboration around trauma-informed environmental education is needed.

摘要

在任何给定的环境教育计划中，都有经历过创伤的学生，但该领域尚未扩大以考虑这些学生的特殊需求。本文将心理学、教育和医疗保健的各个方面编织在一起，概述了创伤的概念及其在学生身上的表现，并介绍了一系列创伤知情环境教育的原则。创伤知情环境教育不是生态疗法的一种形式。相反，它要求环境教育工作者对学生的创伤如何表现有操作性的了解，并采用最有可能支持这些学生学习和与自然建立持久联系的方法。环境教育工作者面临着帮助学生在自然界中体验信任和安全的挑战，即使创伤（包括个人的、系统的和文化的）影响了许多学生建立联系和感到安全的能力。需要围绕创伤知情环境教育开展跨学科合作。