02/19/2026
Take a moment to read this powerful Chalkbeat piece by reporter
“Trauma-informed school model uses calm to prevent conflict in Philly.”
This article shines a light on how Philadelphia schools are using trauma-informed practices, emotional safety, and calm spaces to reduce conflict and support students who carry the weight of violence, stress, and instability.
Tyrique Glasgow, director of an after-school mentorship program called the Young Chances Foundation in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood, said the environment has a profound effect on how children behave at school.
“If at night you look out your window and there’s still the blur of police lights and sirens, are you having a good night’s sleep?” he said. “When they get into the school and someone says, ‘Sit down,’ or ‘Why you not paying attention?’, do you think the child could articulate, ‘Hey, you know, it was a shooting on my block last night?’
He noted a lot of kids he serves also get to school late and often skip breakfast because of stressors at home. The elementary schools in Glasgow’s neighborhood do not have the PHASeS program.
If you care about youth, education, mental health, or community safety, this is a must-read.
📖 Check it out, share it with your network, and let’s keep pushing for schools that heal, not harm.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2026/02/11/trauma-model-imparts-calm-spaces-to-help-kids-cope-in-school/
