12/11/2025
Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are traumatic events during childhood that have a profound impact on development, health, and well-being. They include abuse—physical, emotional, or sexual—along with neglect and household issues such as witnessing domestic violence, family substance use or mental health problems, and parental separation or loss.
Research shows that ACEs significantly increase the risk of health problems later in life, including heart disease, depression, and substance abuse.
During our session, students recognized the importance of speaking out about ACEs, a courageous and essential step toward healing and raising awareness for public health prevention.
They also learned that music and dance are powerful tools to support those with ACEs. These activities help calm the nervous system, process stored trauma, and enhance emotional and physical health.
A prime example of empowering expression was singing along to “Roar” by Katy Perry. As seen in the video, students gave their strongest roar against ACEs. This inspiring song promotes inner strength and overcoming challenging childhood experiences. They also engaged in singing and dancing to other motivational songs to foster resilience.
Today’s lesson turned into another inspiring learning experience.
