Connections Matter is a community-based initiative that explores how the connections we make in life profoundly impact our brain’s ability to grow and our own individual abilities to cope and thrive. Through Connections Matter workshops and trainings, we educate the public on the intersecting topics of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, brain development, and resilience. We utilize an evidence-informed program, along with real-world and concrete examples, to demonstrate how ACEs adversely affect brain development and health outcomes – and how caring connections serve as a primary buffer in the negative effects of trauma. Connections Matter ultimately strives to promote the building of more resilient, compassionate, and trauma-informed communities – thus allowing all children and individuals to succeed.
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This project was supported with financial assistance as a grant from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.