Brain
The ACEs studies stand out because trauma was so prevalent within middle class America. Approximately 76% of individuals, who were educated and had jobs with health insurances, showed a decline in health as a result of early trauma. That represents about 3 out of 4 people!
These adults would have benefited from trauma-informed care and education. It is easy to conclude that most children would benefit from an academic experience that includes skills to manage and limit the effect of early trauma; and not hard to consider that all children would benefit from engaging and practicing these skills.
The I Matter curriculum references the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, that seeks to dignify life, especially of individuals who face systemic racism and the trauma that comes from that experience. After the ACEs studies community and poverty factors were added as sources of trauma in addition to historic and generational trauma. The more recently policy that affects immigrant communities such as forced family separation will most likely be another source of early childhood trauma.
The I Matter curriculum is for all children, because life challenges all of us. It is meant to fit snuggly and complement standard academic curriculum. In fact, language, math and science and the arts (visual, music and movement/dance) are an important part of the curriculum, as are skills associated with:
Academic success such as working memory, time management, focus and attention
Personal success such as self-regulation, emotional Intelligence and critical thinking, and
Happiness such as play, gratitude and empathy