Protecting and caring about children means knowing the facts – the building blocks – about childhood and child development. The more that adults know and understand children, their behaviors, and their essential needs, the better we can stand on business for children to help them thrive.
Children don’t come with instruction manuals (wouldn’t that be great?). Fortunately, there are adults who dedicate their life’s work to studying, understanding, caring for, teaching, and otherwise helping children grow up safe and healthy. This Child Abuse Prevention Month, Safe Shores—The DC Children’s Advocacy Center is hosting a conversation with three such experts.
Join us on April 9, 12-1:30 PM EDT for a rich and nutritious conversation featuring:
Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn, MA
Head of School, Beauvoir, The National Cathedral Elementary School
Taiya Harvey Gregory, LICSW
Program Manager, District of Columbia Public School’s School Mental Health Program
Maria Trent, MD, MPH, FAAP, FSAHM,
Professor of Pediatrics, American Health, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University
Just as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have dire long-term consequences for society, Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) are essential if we’re going to Build a Hopeful Future for Children Together. Help build that future by being part of the conversation. We’ll discuss important facts – and dispel myths – that adults need to know about the most formative years of everyone’s life: childhood. The webinar is for families, policymakers, educators, youth-serving professionals, volunteers, and others who care about kids.
Can’t make the live event? This webinar will be available to all registrants following the live session!
About the Panelists
Maria Trent, MD, MPH, FAAP, FSAHM
Dr. Trent is a Professor of Pediatrics, American Health, and Nursing at Johns Hopkins University, Director of the Division of Adolescent/ Young Adult Medicine, and the Senior Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is a Bloomberg Endowed Professor of American Health and an independent research scientist.
Read more about Dr. Trent
Dr. Trent is a graduate of Yale University, the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed a Pediatric Residency at Children’s National Medical Center/George Washington University and an Adolescent Medicine Fellowship at Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School. She is the principal or key investigator on multiple research projects and training grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other funding agencies. She is also the principal investigator/training director for the Adolescent Reproductive Health T32 Training Program, one of only two nationwide.
A significant focus of Dr. Trent’s research and clinical interest has been on reducing adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health disparities. Her scientific portfolio includes over 160 academic publications, including over 100 peer-reviewed publications in pediatrics and adolescent health. A part of her work also focuses on reducing health disparities and addressing the root causes of inequity. Focusing on this work, she was the lead author of the landmark 2019 AAP policy statement, “The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health,” and lead editor of the recently released text, Untangling the Thread of Racism: A Primer for Pediatric Health Professionals.
Dr. Trent is a past President of the Society for Adolescent Health and served two terms as Chair of the Executive Committee for the Section on Adolescent Health for the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Board of Directors for the American Sexual Health Association. She serves on the Editorial Board of JAMA Pediatrics, the Board of Directors for Advocates for Youth, the Pediatric Academic Societies, and the Howard County Run Board of the United Way of Maryland. Dr. Trent has recently been appointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/ Health Resources and Services Administration Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and STD Prevention and Treatment. She is a sought-after speaker and the author of scientific research articles and other health publications.
Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn, MA
Since 2018, Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn has served as the head of Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Before Beauvoir, Mrs. Gibbs-Wilborn spent five years as head of Hanahau’oli School, a progressive school in Honolulu, HI. There, she spearheaded curriculum review and revision, continuum-based student progress reports, and faculty evaluations rooted in growth and flexibility.
Read more about Mrs. Gibbs-Wilborn
Mrs. Gibbs-Wilborn earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and completed doctoral work at the University of Maryland. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at Gwynedd Mercy University in Bensalem, PA.
A 2018 Klingenstein Fellow for Heads of School at Columbia University’s Teachers College, Mrs. Gibbs-Wilborn is a trustee of the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, Duke School for Children, and the National Association of Episcopal Schools. In her spare time, Mrs. Gibbs-Wilborn is an avid birdwatcher and enjoys spending time with her family.
Taiya Harvey Gregory, LICSW
Taiya Harvey Gregory, LICSW, said “yes” to the social work profession almost 30 years ago. She joyfully serves as a program manager with the District of Columbia Public School’s School Mental Health Program, supporting elementary school-based social workers. Passionate about the profession, Taiya has also served as an adjunct professor in Bowie State University’s social work program for nearly fifteen years. Her goal is to inspire and equip the next generation of social workers to be change agents for those with the greatest need and those who are the furthest from opportunity.
