RDI projects
RDI projects
#savoniaAMK
Project Information |  |
| Name | Supporting Trauma-informed Higher Education Practices |
| Start | 1.10.2025 |
| End | 30.9.2027 |
| Website | https://traumainformed.savonia.fi/ |
| Status | Running |
| Contact | Pirjo Pehkonen |
| Description | The STEP project aims to advance trauma-informed teaching across European higher education institutions at a time when growing numbers of students have experienced war, forced migration, and other crises. Trauma can significantly affect students’ concentration, emotional regulation, well-being, and participation, yet university teachers often lack the pedagogical training needed to recognize trauma-related learning difficulties or to create psychologically safe learning environments. The project responds to this gap by developing a research-based, practical, and scalable model for trauma-informed teaching that strengthens both educators’ competencies and institutions’ capacity to support diverse student populations.
The project will produce a comprehensive curriculum, a guidebook, and a set of open-access training materials grounded in evidence gathered through a literature review and expert surveys across partner countries. These resources will be piloted in higher education settings through a Train-the-Trainer programme that ensures broad uptake and long-term sustainability. By equipping teachers with concrete tools and methods, the project supports them in identifying trauma-related barriers to learning, fostering psychological safety, and enhancing students’ engagement, resilience, and academic success. STEP creates meaningful impact at multiple levels. For students, trauma-informed teaching provides more inclusive, supportive, and stable learning environments, particularly for those affected by war or displacement. For educators, it strengthens professional competence by providing concrete, research-based pedagogical methods that enhance their ability to address trauma-related learning needs and apply trauma-informed practices with confidence in everyday teaching. At the institutional level, the project encourages the integration of trauma-informed principles into policies, teacher training structures, and everyday pedagogical practices. The open-access materials, digital platforms, and policy recommendations developed during the project ensure that its results extend beyond the consortium and contribute to more equitable, psychologically safe higher education systems across Europe. Through these efforts, the STEP project strengthens social cohesion, supports student integration, and builds long-term institutional resilience. |
| Partners | |
| Funded by | Erasmus+ 2021-2027 |