Healing Centered Learning Communities
Learn trauma-informed, healing-centered practices to take back to your organization and
community.
Black women die in childbirth at much higher rates than white women. And Black babies
are also 3-8 times more likely to be born premature or die before their first birthday
than white babies. This has nothing to do with whether Black women are good mothers
or take good care of themselves. This happens because the stress of being Black in the
United States hurts women’s bodies.
But that’s not the end of the story. That stress that wears and tears on women’s bodies
can be relieved through loving support and connection in the home, in the
congregation, on the block, in the neighborhood, and across the city.
Our Healing Centered Learning Communities explore how we can improve the health
and well-being of women, pregnant people, and babies by building healing-centered,
restorative justice skills and practices in organizations that serve families and in our
communities. Participants learn about how stress and trauma impact maternal and
infant mortality and how positive, loving connection bring healing and protection. This is
active, participatory learning that emphasizes community and the quality of our
relationships with each other as the key for supporting the well-being of parents and
babies.
Organizations in the city of Chicago are invited to send teams to the Courage to Love in
Action Healing Centered Learning Communities program. Team members should be
change-makers who can help lead healing-centered, trauma-informed practices, policies
and programs in their organization or community.
Our program uses a Restorative Justice curriculum that teaches participants to
understand and apply the values of identity, right relationship, and systemic change
across all areas of their lives and work. (Learn more about Restorative Justice at Nehemiah Trinity Rising.)
Teams will leave the program with increased:
Awareness of the impact of trauma on pregnancy outcomes.
Awareness, knowledge and skills in Restorative Justice philosophy and practices
Awareness and knowledge about what trauma is, what resilience is, and what
creates healing and hope, particularly as it relates to maternal and infant health
outcomes
Skills in trauma informed, healing centered approaches
Understanding of the crucial function of healthy relationships (personal,
interpersonal, systemic and structural) for people’s well-being
Experience in spiritual wisdom and practices rooted in African and indigenous
identity
Understanding of how to think about community concerns from a systemic and
structural perspective.
Skills and confidence to lead trauma-informed education and restorative
practices experiences in their own settings and for their stakeholders
All sessions are provided free of charge to the organization.
Teams receive stipends in recognition of their time, in accordance with the
organization’s stipend policies.
To find out more about the project and how to get involved, contact Darlena at
darlena@courage2love.org or fill out this general interest form.
The Chicago Department of Public Health's Office of Violence Prevention provides funding
for this program.
How it Works
1
Join our next Healing Centered Learning Community
2
Refine your skills through ongoing learning opportunities
