The University of Hawaiʻi Better Tomorrow Speaker Series will host a powerful conversation on the long-term effects of trauma and toxic stress, featuring Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green, and renowned pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris. The event, free and open to the public, will be held on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. at UH Mānoa’s Art Auditorium.
Burke Harris, California’s first surgeon general and founder of the Center for Youth Wellness, is a national leader in the study of childhood adversity. Her bestselling book, The Deepest Well, explores how trauma in early life shapes lifelong health outcomes.
“For us to thrive, we have to heal,” said Green. “The setbacks we face as individuals and as a community can hinder our ability to move forward unless we come together and make it right.”
The event, free and open to the public, will be held on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. at UH Mānoa’s Art Auditorium.
“Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is a renowned national leader on the importance of addressing adverse childhood experiences,” said Aimee Malia Grace, director of UH’s Office of Strategic Health Initiatives. “We look forward to learning from her about more ways that we can help Hawaiʻi better care for our children and families.”
The event highlights the need for trauma-informed policies in both healthcare and government. Gov. Green will share how his administration is tackling these issues through the Office of Wellness and Resilience, which works to integrate trauma-responsive policies across state programs.
The discussion comes at a pivotal moment, as Hawaiʻi continues to confront challenges like the housing crisis and the aftermath of the Maui fires.
The event is sponsored by the Office of Wellness and Resilience in the Office of the Governor, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Office of Strategic Health Initiatives, the Queen’s Health Systems and UH Mānoa School of Nursing Dental Hygiene.
The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series is a collaborative initiative of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kaiāulu by Kamehameha Schools, UH Mānoa, the Learning Coalition and UH Foundation.
