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Kathryn Young
Professor of Secondary Education
Secondary, K-12 and Educational Technology
[email protected]Biography
Dr. Kathryn S. Young is a Professor of Secondary Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Director of Trauma‑Informed Practices (TIP). In this leadership role, she guides institutional efforts to advance trauma‑informed approaches across teacher preparation, K–12 school partnerships, and university initiatives. Her work includes developing faculty and staff training, supporting schools and districts in implementing trauma‑responsive systems with the goal of preparing educators to create safer, more supportive learning environments for all students. For more about TIP at MSU Denver please see https://www.msudenver.edu/education/office-of-education-solutions/trauma-informed-practices/Dr. Young earned a Bachelor of Arts in French Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Arts in Teaching from North Carolina Central University, and a PhD in Educational Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
She has worked in education for nearly 30 years—including 20 years in higher education—and brings experience as a French teacher, Peace Corps educator, and special educator serving students identified with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities. She is trained as a facilitator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and a Trauma-Informed Practices facilitator.
Her research focuses on Trauma‑Informed Practices, hierarchical microaggressions, and sociologically-informed practices of inclusion and exclusion. Dr. Young has authored more than 40+ publications and delivered numerous presentations across her areas of expertise.
Please contact Dr. Young by email if you would like further information.
Research Interests
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The intersection of trauma, equity, and educator preparation within educational systems enacted through specific research related to:
• Trauma-informed practices (TIP) in K–12 and higher education
• Secondary traumatic stress (STS) in pre-service and in-service teachers
• Teacher preparation and educator development
• Integration of trauma-informed practices into curriculum and programs
• Microaggressions in education and the workplace
• Microbullying and campus/school climate
• Equity, inclusion, and sociologically informed practices
• Intersectionality (race, gender, and identity in education)
• Cultural humility and identity-responsive teaching
• Educator beliefs, language, and narratives about students
• Inclusive education and special education
• Institutional structures, policy, and their impact on equity
• Teacher experiences, well-being, and professional sustainability
Teaching Interests
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My teaching is grounded in a commitment to equity-centered, trauma-informed education, shaped by my research on trauma-informed practices, educator development, and the sociological dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in educational spaces. I approach teaching not simply as the delivery of content, but as the intentional design of learning environments that foster safety, belonging, critical awareness, and agency for all students.
At the core of my pedagogy is the belief that learning cannot be separated from lived experience. Students and educators alike bring complex histories, identities, and forms of knowledge into the classroom. Because of this, I prioritize creating learning environments that are predictable, relational, and responsive, where students can engage intellectually without fear of harm or marginalization. Drawing on trauma-informed principles, I attend to routines, communication, and relational dynamics in ways that support both academic engagement and emotional well-being.
My teaching also reflects a strong commitment to equity and the interruption of harm in educational spaces. I explicitly address issues such as microaggressions, bias, and systems of exclusion as part of course content and classroom practice. I view the classroom as a space where students learn not only disciplinary knowledge, but also how to recognize, name, and disrupt inequitable practices. This includes examining how language, policies, and everyday interactions can reinforce or challenge systems of power.
A central focus of my work in teacher education is preparing educators to navigate the complexity of real classrooms. I design learning experiences that connect theory to practice, asking students to critically reflect on their own beliefs, analyze classroom scenarios, and apply trauma-informed and equity-centered frameworks to instructional decision-making. I emphasize that effective teaching is not about compliance or control, but about building relationships, fostering student voice, and supporting diverse pathways to learning.
I also strive to model the kinds of practices I hope my students will adopt. This includes incorporating student voice and choice, creating opportunities for collaboration, and maintaining transparency around expectations and assessment. I encourage students to take intellectual risks, to question assumptions—including my own—and to see themselves as co-constructors of knowledge.
Ultimately, my goal is to support students in becoming educators and professionals who are not only skilled, but also reflective, adaptive, and committed to equity. I aim to prepare them to work within educational systems, and to transform those same systems so that they are more just, humane, and responsive to the needs of all learners.
Education
PhD in Education Policy
University of California Berkeley
MA in Special Education: Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
North Carolina Central University
BA in French Education
University of North Carolina
Published Works
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Bernhardt, E. P., Schepers, C. O., Brennan, M., Young, S. K. . A Practical Guide for Developing Trauma-Informed Elementary Classrooms: Innovative Activities, Strategies, and Practices for Creating Classrooms that Foster Equity, Resiliency, and Asset-Based Approaches. Emerald Publishing ,
Young, S. K. (2025). Forward. IAP,
Young, S. K., Grevstad, N., Brennan., Castro Schepers, O. (2025). The Trauma Teachers Bring to Teaching: First-Year Teacher Results from the Traumatic Life Events Checklist. Journal of Trauma Studies in Education, 4(2), 175-194. https://doi.org/10.70085/jtse.v4i2.129 .
Castro Schepers, O., Grevstad, N., Young, S. K., Brennan, M. (2025). Sustaining TIP Knowledge and Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Novice Teachers: Year One of a Longitudinal Study. Psychology in the Schools, 62(8), 2463-2481. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23478.
Young, S. K., Castro Schepers, O. (2024). Integrating trauma-informed practices into higher education curriculum. Metropolitan Universities journal, 35(3). https://doi.org/10.18060/28026 .
Young, S. K., Castro Schepers, O. (2023). A Roadmap for Trauma-Informed Practice Integration in Teacher Preparation Content. Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 11(Article 7). https://digscholarship.unco.edu/jeri/vol11/iss1/7/.
Young, S. K., Schepers, O., Joseph, A. (2022). Incorporating Trauma-Informed Practices into One Teacher Education Program: Convenience, Intentionality, and Institutionalization. (). Information Age Publishing (IAP).
Castro Schepers, O., Young, S. K. (2022). Mitigating secondary traumatic stress in preservice educators: A pilot study on the role of trauma‐informed practice seminars. Psychology in the Schools, 59(2), 316-333. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22610.
Young, S. K., Anderson, M. (2021). Women of Color in Higher Education: Intersectional Stories of Microaggressions. Non-Profit Quarterly, https://nonprofitquarterly.org/women-of-color-in-higher-education-intersectional-stories-of-microaggressions/
Joseph, A., Schepers, O., Young, S. K. (2021). Case Study: One Program’s Process of Integrating Trauma-Informed Practices into Educator Preparation. Ed Prep Matters AACTE Blog, https://edprepmatters.net/2021/03/case-study-one-programs-process-of-integrating-trauma-informed-practices-into-educator-preparation/
Young, S. K., Anderson, M. (2021). Microaggressive Hierarchical intersectionalities: Small stories of women of color in higher education. Metropolitan Universities Journal, 32(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18060/24210 .
Young, S. K., Anderson, M. (2020). Fix Your Climate: A Practical Guide to Reducing Microaggressions, Microbullying, and Bullying in the Academic Workplace. (). Academic Impressions. https://www.academicimpressions.com/product/campus-climate-microaggressions-bullying/
Young, S. K., Konuk, N. (2020). Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice?. , https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-11-supporting-students-in-their-religious-practices/
Young, S. K., Hernandez, M., Markson III, P. (2019). It's Messy: You Can't Just Talk About Race. (). Academy for Educational Studies.
Young, S. K., Anderson, M. (2018). Microaggressions in Higher Education: Embracing Educative Spaces . (). John Wiley & Sons.
Suarez, C., Anderson, M., Young, S. K. (2018). The changing roles of campus diversity offices and how these educators are contributing to campus efforts to incorporate an equity perspective throughout campus functions and culture.. Metropolitan Universities Journal http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/muj/article/view/22178.
Young, S. K., Herring, J. T., Morrison, D. A. (2017). Conceptual Strategies for Culturally Sustaining and Inclusive Education. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 53(4), 174-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2017.1369279.
Herring, J. T., Morrison, A. C., Young, S. K., Kleinfeld, A. E., MacDonald, E. L. (2017). Take a SIP of This: Peer-to-Peer Promotion of Strong Instructional Practices. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, (29.3), 571-579. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/current.cfm .
Young, S. K. (2016). The relationship of space and policy - How overlapping policies exacerbate geographic (in)equalities . Radical Pedagogy, 13(2), 75-91. http://radicalpedagogy.org/radicalpedagogy.org/Young.html.
Luttenegger, C. K., Young, S. K. (2016). Words Matter: Looking Closely at the Language Secondary Pre-Service Teachers Use in Describing Students in their Field Placements. The Field Experience Journal, 17(Spring 2016), 51-63. .
Young, S. K. (2016). How student teachers (don’t) talk about race: An intersectional analysis. Race Ethnicity and Education, 19(1), 67-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2013.831826.
Curcic, S., Yurita, M., Young, S. K., Wolff, L., Ziazi, Z., Garcia Ansani, E. (2015). Teachers’ needs and preparation to use technology in the U.S. and Japan K-12: Learning from teachers. Journal of Contemporary Research in Education, 3(3), 79-93. .
Young, S. K., Anderson, M., Stewart, S. (2015). Hierarchical Microaggressions in Higher Education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 8(1), 61-71. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/dhe/8/1/61.
Young, S. K., Luttenegger, C. K. (2014). Planning "Lessons for Everybody" in Secondary Classrooms. American Secondary Education, 43(1), 25-32. .
Young, S. K., Curcic, S. (2013). Perspectives on Policy/Practice (Dis)Connection—Special Educators Turned Teacher Educators’ Points of View. Creative Education, 4(7), 452-460. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2013.47065.
Young, S. K. . A Cost-Benefit Analysis for Serving Teens who are Experiencing Severe and Persistent Emotional Challenges. Education and Treatment of Children.
Young, S. K., Florian, L. (2013). Researching Teacher Education for Inclusion: Using a Methodological Memo. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, DOI: 10.1080/1743727X.2012.73139155–371. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2012.731391.
Young, S. K. (2011). Combined credential programs: Pedagogic, practical, and ideological concerns. Teacher Education Quarterly, 38(2), 7-26. .
Young, S. K. (2011). Institutional separation in schools of education: Understanding the functions of space in general and special education teacher preparation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(2), 483-493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.10.001.
Young, S. K. (2010). LD and the rise of Highly Gifted and Talented Programs: Examining similar rationale across decades and designations. Disability Studies Quarterly, 30(2). .
Florian, L., Young, S. K., Rouse, M. (2010). Preparing teachers for inclusive and diverse educational environments: Studying curricular reform in an initial teacher education course. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(7). .
Grubb, W., Kinlaw, H., Posey, L., Young, S. K. (2009). Dynamic Inequalities III: Exploring what schools do for low performing students. The Money Myth: School Resources, Outcomes, and Equity/Russell Sage Foundation,
Young, S. K. (2009). I have a student who...: An exploration of societal norms embedded in individuals' narratives. Narrative Inquiry,
Young, S. K. (2009). I have a student who…. Narrative Inquiry, 19(2), 356-371. https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.19.2.08you.
Young, S. K. (2008). An alternative model of special education teacher education socialization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(4), 901-914. .
Young, S. K. (2008). I don't think I'm the right person for that: Theoretical and pedagogical questions about combined credential programs. Disability Studies Quarterly, http://www.dsq-sds.org/article/view/132/132
Young, S. K., Mintz, E. (2008). Normalization, benevolence, and stigmatization in special education and disability studies. Disability and the politics of education: An international reader,
Young, S. K. (2008). Physical and social organization of space in a combined credential programme: implications for inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 12(5-6), 477-495. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110802377508.
Bacon, E., Banks, J., Young, S. K., Jackson, F. (2007). Perceptions of African American and European American Teachers on the education of African American males. Multiple Voices,
Young, S. K. (2006). Book Review of Mental Retardation in America. H-net Disability, h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=h-disability&month=0603&week=b&msg=lonGcOxJbWxKXOyPZjcRcQ&user=&pw=
Bacon, E., Jackson, F., Young, S. K. (2005). Voices of African American boys with behavior problems: Perspectives on schooling. Multiple Voices,