What's Happening?
Sherri Harper Woods, an associate professor of social work at Youngstown State University (YSU), is currently serving as guest-faculty in Rwanda. She is leading trauma-informed care training sessions and working to strengthen partnerships that will facilitate
future learning experiences for YSU students. During her visit, Harper Woods conducted a six-hour professional development conference on August 30 at the Catholic University of Rwanda in Huye. This conference brought together graduate students and health professionals from various fields, including nursing, midwifery, public health, social development, and counseling psychology. The training focused on critical areas such as trauma-informed care practices, understanding vicarious trauma, implementing self-care strategies, and utilizing the Community Resilience Model to support emotional regulation and resilience. Harper Woods also teaches a social and emotional well-being course for undergraduate midwifery students at African Health Sciences University in Kigali and is co-facilitating workshops for high-conflict couples and a conference on self-forgiveness and mental health practices.
Why It's Important?
This initiative is significant for both Rwanda and the United States. In Rwanda, where many healthcare professionals care for individuals affected by trauma, illness, and loss, the training helps develop compassionate and culturally responsive approaches to care. It also equips participants with tools for self-care, recognizing the emotional impact of caregiving, and ultimately strengthening the country's healthcare system's capacity for healing and resilience. For YSU, these partnerships provide nursing and social work students with invaluable opportunities for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary learning and service. It fosters cultural humility and global awareness among future U.S. healthcare professionals, allowing them to understand trauma through a cultural lens and adapt trauma-informed care practices across diverse settings. The work also influences YSU's curriculum, with a wellness course developed in Rwanda now being offered at the university, preparing students for compassionate, strength-based care in their own communities.
What's Next?
Harper Woods is scheduled to return to the Catholic University of Rwanda in August 2027 to lead a weeklong conference. This future engagement will utilize a train-the-trainer model, aiming to empower students to share trauma-informed and community resilience practices within their respective communities. The Rwanda Service Learning and Community Engagement course, co-instructed by Harper Woods and Mary Shortreed of YSU’s nursing program, is planned again for spring 2028, indicating continued opportunities for YSU students to engage in these international learning experiences. These ongoing collaborations are expected to further solidify the reciprocal relationships between YSU and Rwandan healthcare providers, universities, and community organizations, enriching both the communities served and the educational experiences of YSU students.
Beyond the Headlines
The collaboration between Youngstown State University and Rwandan institutions highlights a deeper trend of global academic and professional exchange in addressing complex social and health challenges. This initiative transcends typical educational programs by emphasizing cultural humility and the integration of local cultural contexts into trauma-informed care. It underscores the understanding that healing is profoundly connected to community, relationships, faith, and culture, a perspective that can enrich healthcare practices globally. The focus on vicarious trauma and self-care for caregivers also addresses a critical, often overlooked, aspect of healthcare sustainability. By building these international bridges, the program not only enhances the capacity for healing in Rwanda but also cultivates a more globally aware and culturally competent generation of healthcare professionals in the U.S., fostering a more holistic and empathetic approach to care worldwide.
