Digital Commons Network^™

Trauma-Informed Teaching Guidebook A Resource For Supporting Students, Autumn Shipley-Mellon

Masters Projects

Many students in the K–12 education system have experienced trauma, yet schools often lack the tools and structures to adequately support them. This project addresses that gap by creating a trauma-informed teaching guidebook for educators. Grounded in current research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma’s effects on child development, the guidebook provides practical, easy-to-implement strategies. It focuses on building supportive relationships, creating safe and predictable environments, managing behavior with empathy, and designing classrooms that foster emotional regulation and connection. The goal is to support both student well-being and teacher effectiveness. The guidebook is intended to be shared with educators …

Helping Families Learn About Social Emotional Learning, Madalyn Ross

Masters Projects

Having developmentally appropriate social-emotional skills is an essential component of a growing child, yet many children lack the social-emotional skills necessary to be successful in the classroom. Families play an important role in the development of a child, but research shows that there are significant gaps in the knowledge and use of social-emotional learning (SEL) that families have. This project explores the importance of family involvement and knowledge surrounding SEL by looking at certain aspects that hinder SEL growth, such as trauma and excessive screen time, and aspects that help children excel in SEL development, such as teacher education and …

The Impact Of Cell Phones And Social Media On Social And Emotional Development Of High School Students, Laura Nash

Masters Projects

Studies suggest that social media can have a negative impact on the social and emotional development of adolescents when overused or abused. This paper examines the benefits of social media and several of the adverse effects of problematic social media use. A few of the adverse effects can carry over into the school setting, resulting in students missing valuable instruction time and not being fully engaged in the learning environment. This project proposal is intended to educate parents and school employees about hazards of problematic social media use and the tools that are readily available to monitor the content that …

Black Dandelion: Convergent Voice™, Semaj Brown

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Breaking The Cycle Of Burnout In Financial Aid, Ashlee Thayer

Masters Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the causes and effects of burnout in financial aid staff and what potential strategies could be implemented to support staff experiencing burnout. Lack of work-life balance and increased work-related stress are a few causes of burnout seen throughout the literature. The intention of this project is to create a workshop that provides managers and directors with the necessary tools to identify the sign of burnout in their employees and provide the necessary support to mitigate the effects of burnout. Addressing and preventing burnout in financial aid staff will increase staff retention and …

Dangerous Disclosure: An Autoethnographic Account Of My Autism Diagnosis And The Social Work Profession, Alice Running

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

The disclosing of an autism diagnosis presents particular challenge for autistic mothers, especially for those autistic mothers who are additionally advocating for their autistic children within public service provision. Research into autism and parental blame demonstrates how autistic mothers are disproportionately exposed to aspects of mother-blame.

Disclosure of an autism diagnosis for autistic mothers can therefore be understood as a complex decision-making process whereby managing autistic identity and understanding autistic self are impacted by the additional need to manage the perceptions of others and associated stigma. The decision-making process is further influenced by the tangible consequences of mother-blame (child removal) …

Identity Ramifications, Tina E. Wilson

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

Inside Out: Autistic Psychologists On The Power Structures Of Diagnosis, Audrey J. Scaer, Christopher R. Dabbs

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

How do relationships between medicalized diagnostic powers and training intersect with the complex social identity of autism? How does self-identification (self-diagnosis) challenge the diagnostic status quo, created and scaffolded by enormously powerful social systems? In this paper, we reflect on the historical and modern dynamics of these power relations. As autistic psychologists actively working with and diagnosing autistic clients, we end this paper with an autoethnographic interrogation of our own self-diagnostic journeys and ways in which we’ve integrated our identities across personal and professional spheres of functioning.

Etchings Of The Exiled, Jan A. Wozniak

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

The Interaction/Impact Of Aces And Coach-Athlete Relationships On The Collegiate Athlete Experience: A Trauma Informed Coaching Approach, Lauren King

Masters Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to long-term mental, physical, and social health challenges, including depression, anxiety, injury, and early mortality (ACE Response, 2024; Felitti et al., 1998). Despite this, limited research has addressed how ACEs affect student-athletes, who often enter college already carrying unresolved trauma (Bennett, 2022, 2023). Simultaneously, the coach-athlete relationship (CAR) is recognized as a key mediating factor in student-athlete well-being, yet coaches receive little to no formal training on trauma-informed care (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003; Simons & Bird, 2022). This project bridges that gap by synthesizing ACEs research, sport psychology, and social stress frameworks …

A Transition Course Supporting Student Veterans' Success, Caitlin O. Burnett

Masters Projects

Research has shown that student veterans face unique challenges when transitioning from military service to college, yet many higher education institutions, including Grand Valley State University, have not developed targeted support systems to meet their specific needs. This project explores the experiences of student veterans in higher education and identifies important strategies that promote a successful transition to academic life. A thorough support program must acknowledge the complexity of this transition, including the cultural shift from military to civilian life, and must address academic, personal, and professional development. The Veteran Transition Course is designed to support student veterans in building …

Their Voices, Their Work: The Challenges And Experiences Of Resettled Female Refugees In West Michigan, Cristhel Vanessa Morlidge

Masters Projects

Resettled female refugees often hope to improve their life in the country and community that they settle in. However, they can instead face multiple challenges due to their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and language. The objective of this qualitative study is to identify the unique experiences and challenges of female refugees as they enter the formal workforce in the United States. Participants in this research are from two different countries in Africa, and all currently reside in West Michigan. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a small-focus group to learn about their experiences through their own words. While generalizations …

Decolonizing Psychology As A Scientific And Ethical Necessity, Heidi Keller

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

The starting point of this paper is the colonial heritage of mainstream psychology, and particularly of developmental psychology. The dominant paradigm is still the assumption of universality of theories and findings that originate in research from and with a tiny part of the world’s population. Associated is the neglect, even ignorance, concerning existing anthropological, cultural, and psychological ethnographic research from different communities across the globe, which demonstrate that the so-called WEIRD science (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) is different in many respects from the multitude of existing cultural patterns, representing an outlier in a statistical sense. The paper presents a …

Lanthorn, Vol. 59, No. 10, January 20, 2025, Grand Valley State University

Volume 59, August 5, 2024 – April 14, 2025

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Chapter 13: Climate Change, Ageism, And Intergenerational Solidarity, Angela K. Perone, Kaycee Peterman, Katherine Perone, Megan Chan, Lihua Huang

Books and Contributions to Books

It examines disproportional impacts of climate change on healthy aging and their link to systemic and interpersonal ageism. Attention is given to adverse impacts of extreme weather on physiological, psychological, and socioeconomic health of older adults, particularly those who experience multiple inequalities. Intergenerational solidarity and its practical implications are explored.

Chapter 11: Suicide And Ageism: Understanding Risk And Tools For Prevention, Kristen Smith

Books and Contributions to Books

This chapter examines older adult suicide and its risk factors such as increased health challenges, isolation and loneliness, and negative self-ageism. It highlights older adult suicide as a preventable cause of death. It provides practical tools for suicide assessment, intervention, and prevention, using non-stigmatizing language.

Gvsu Press Releases, 2025, Grand Valley State University

University Press Releases, 1961-Present

A compilation of press releases for the year 2025 submitted by University Communications (formerly News & Information Services) to news agencies concerning the people, places, and events related to Grand Valley State University.

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog 2025-2026, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2025-2026 undergraduate and graduate course catalog. Course catalogs are published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

Normal, Perfectly Normal And Monotropic Academic, Jan A. Wozniak

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

Learning To Be An Autistic Therapist: Personal Steps Towards An Autism-Affirming Psychotherapy, Sasha D. Strong

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

How can Autistic therapists understand and support themselves, and how can this help them support their clients? In this paper, I recount my personal journey of healing and growth as an Autistic psychotherapist, 16 months after self-identification. Here is an overview of conceptual frameworks from #actuallyautistic authors, critical theory, queer theory, and social justice that I have found helpful. I also share some of the therapeutic and wellness approaches that have been important to me, including mindfulness and bodyfulness. Organic knowing has been pivotal for me in discerning between masking and aliveness, and regaining a choice around masking behaviors. This …

Outside Of The Norm: On Blackness And Neurodivergence In The Workplace, Safia Abdulle

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

The traditional workplace is a neurotypical workplace. The foundations of the neurotypical, traditional workplace stem from the developmental norms and social processes which imbed neurotypicality into Western society. Children, from a young age, are praised for appearing neurotypical and are punished for any deviations outside of the ‘norm’—internalizing and problematizing neurodivergent behaviours as ‘unproductive’, ‘problematic’, and ‘abnormal.’ Moreover, existing as racialized and neurodivergent highlights specific, intersectional issues in the workplace worth reflecting on. As a result of these marginalizations, racialized and/or disabled, neurodivergent people must utilize masking strategies as survival mechanisms. Radical re-imaginings of the current workplace, and consequently society, …

Lanthorn, Vol. 59, No. 08, December 2, 2024, Grand Valley State University

Volume 59, August 5, 2024 – April 14, 2025

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

'Higher' Education: Incorporating Cannabis As Interdisciplinary Curricula, John W. Lipford, A. Scott Rood

Journal of Tourism Insights

This paper details successful efforts undertaken, at a Midwest (U.S.) university to address the significant lack of cannabis-centered academics within U.S. higher education. The foci of this paper for interdisciplinary cannabis curricula at the subject university is three-fold: student-centered, industry-centered, and community-centered. The curricular innovation was designed, presented, and now implemented, in a form of stackable credentialling; through which students develop fundamental knowledge about cannabis (badge in ‘cannabis operations’), apply that knowledge in a holistic way to local regions (certificate in ‘cannabis & community planning’), and culminate their learning experience with advanced topics and experiential learning components via an academic …

Understanding The “L” In Cslp Within The Literacy Conundrum, Julia Lynch, Andrea Perrone

Michigan Reading Journal

Rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining literacy practices (CSLP) focus on equity in education (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012). Our view of CSLP emphasizes integrating the arts into literacy instruction to leverage students' cultural assets, stimulating their cognitive processes and recognizing literacy's interdisciplinary role in learning. As we align literacy practices with state standards, high-stakes testing, and research-based methods, it's crucial for educators and society to embrace them. Traditionally, literacy instruction has prioritized written language, creating hierarchical structures that lead to learning gaps and inequitable opportunities. An arts-based CSLP framework addresses these issues by ensuring literacy includes diverse …

A Systems And Innovation Approach To Attune Grantmaking For Early Childhood To What Matters Most At The Point Of Service, Wally Patawaran

The Foundation Review

This article discusses how and why The JPB Foundation, a nationally focused private philanthropy in the United States, promoted multistakeholder innovations as it evolved its strategy for early childhood health equity. Through coordinated grantmaking, its cross-sector partnerships over the past decade shifted the science, clinical practice, and public discourse on early life stress.

Building on field learning and trusted relationships, JPB and its partners paved the way for a reimagined paradigm of care that brings ecosystem stakeholders together to overcome competing frictions inhibiting their mutual flourishing. Working collaboratively with grantees as their champion and thought partner, JPB formulated an agenda …

Racial Disproportionality In Exclusionary Discipline Rates In The United States, Cara Crisostomo

Masters Projects

Racial disparity in exclusionary discipline rates in K-12 schools in the United States is a problem that was first written about in the 1970s. Unfortunately, it remains a problem nearly fifty years later and one that has not been addressed by school districts and schools. Schools have implemented programs such as restorative justice to address this disparity, but research shows that these programs center Whiteness. Disparity either does not improve with these programs or even increases. School staff’s cross-cultural differences from their students and staff’s implicit bias and subjectivity in the discipline process contribute to the disparity. Therefore, it is …

Becoming Trauma- Informed Parents And Educators, Stephanie M. Petersen

Masters Projects

Trauma exposure may have a negative impact on students within the K-12 setting. Whether through first and secondhand accounts, trauma may affect students in areas that can lead to academic, psychological, and social emotional developmental concerns. Lasting impacts of trauma can affect cognitive, affective, behavioral, psychological, relational and self-attribution domains, and can lead to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, borderline personality disorder, depression, etc. (O’Neill et al., 2010, pg. 190). When the brain is affected by neuroanatomical and neurophysiological changes a child’s language is impaired, which affects their ability to comprehend ultimately leading to effects on a child’s ability to …

Impacts Of Cellphone Usage On Adolescent Social And Emotional Development, Chelsea N. Hammer

Masters Projects

Adolescent cellphone use has a negative impact on the school environment. This project explores how cellphones effect youth social and emotional development. The literature is reviewed as it relates to cellphone usage and emotional well-being, mental health, intrapersonal skill development and interpersonal growth. Cellphone addiction amongst teenagers is discussed as well protective factors to mitigate the damage cellphone use inflicts on student social and emotional development. This project advocates for making school stakeholders aware of these harmful effects so as to consider a re-examination of school cellphone policy. Incorporating periods of unplugging during the school day as well as using …

Lost Causal: Debunking Myths About Causal Analysis In Philanthropy – With 2024 Prologue, Jewlya Lynn, Sarah Stachowiak, Julia Coffman

The Foundation Review

Editor’s Note: This article, first published in print and online in 2022, has been republished by The Foundation Review with minor updates.

What if philanthropic evaluations told us that changes in the world had occurred, as well as how and why they occurred, including whether what foundations funded and grantees did contributed to those changes? What if evaluations made change pathways more visible, tested hypotheses and assumptions, and generated new insights based on what happened in the “black box” of systems change strategies? This type of learning comes from causal analysis — inquiry that explores cause-and-effect relationships.

Yet currently in …