Aligning our Systems with the Science for Prevention and Healing
We know that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have profound and lasting impacts on health. But the science is equally clear: positive, supportive, and stable relationships can buffer stress and build lifelong resilience.
In this keynote, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris will explore how protective factors that help children thrive even in the face of adversity. Drawing from her leadership as California Surgeon General, where she led the statewide rollout of trauma-informed care, and her current national work advancing early identification and early intervention, Dr. Burke Harris will share how resilience can be intentionally cultivated across families, schools, healthcare settings, and communities.
You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how protective relationships, safe environments, and responsive systems can reduce the biological effects of toxic stress — and how youth-serving organizations can intentionally design for resilience.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the science behind ACEs and Preventative Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and explain how protective factors buffer the biological impact of toxic stress.
- Identify key protective relationships and environmental supports that build resilience in children and adolescents.
- Explain the role of early identification and trauma-informed practices in strengthening resilience and preventing long-term health consequences.
- Apply a public health approach to youth-serving systems, recognizing opportunities to intentionally design environments that promote safety, connection, and stability.
- Articulate strategies for cross-sector collaboration that strengthen protective factors and build resilience at scale.