Northstar engages young leaders in learning and teaching trauma-informed healing justice practices. Through a training-of-trainers format, participants learn how teach these practices to educators, cultural workers and adult youth workers. Northstar supports youth of color to build agency and power by developing collective strategies and alternatives to oppressive structures and ideologies through workshops, teach-ins, research and personal knowledge.

WHAT IS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE?
Trauma-informed care takes into account the impacts on trauma on an individual’s mental, emotional and physical well being. It is incorporated into school programs, juvenile justice centers, mental health programs and more across the country. This framework emphasizes the support and treatment of the whole person, instead of treating specific symptoms and behaviors. Vast research demonstrates that addressing the root of the trauma will significantly change the course of person’s life. (Learn more here.)

WHAT IS HEALING JUSTICE?
“Healing justice is the practice of reimagining wholeness at the intersection of intergenerational trauma, current structures of oppression, and a generative and co-created future. We hold that joy and pleasure create possibility to be in right relationship with ourselves, each other, and the land. We strive to demystify medicine and healing and to make them accessible to everyone. We believe that each person is an expert of their own experience, body and needs, and that it is necessary to address the roots of trauma and injustice for individual and collective transformation” (Allied Media Conference 2018 Healing Justice Practice Space and Healing Justice Track Coordinators).

This approach highlights the benefits of collective healing and uses asset-based approaches to empower marginalized bodies, for their own individual healing as well as the healing of a community. This in tandem with a trauma informed care approach allows for holistic model to create awareness and empowerment for young people and future generations.

Northstar participants are:
● Willing to master trauma informed practices and responsive to self and others
● Committed to healing justice work
● Interested in learning intersectional analysis of power structures and system of oppression in urban school settings
● Interested in developing performance skills for body and voice to lead others
● Willing to participate and develop holistic communal healing practices through circle keeping and introspective learning practices
● Familiar with popular education and experiential learning
● Committed to social justice and liberation and seek a discipline of hope
● Collaborative
● Seeking community among the participants and encourage transformational attitudes throughout the programing and facilitation
● Excited to learn through experience and critical pedagogy
● Committed to cultural space creation that liberates youth
● Flexible – Available for all training dates

WHO: Up to 12 leaders ages 17-24 from Chicago, with an emphasis on young leaders of color and womyn identified people, but not limited to gender-non-conforming folx and transmen.

Applications will re-open in Spring 2022.