Claire Busse

The purpose of the present study was to pilot test a trauma-informed leadership training model for undergraduate peer leaders. Using a non-experimental single group, pre-post design, we investigated whether training on trauma-informed practices targeted specifically to the realities of student leaders in the University of Minnesota Marching Band improved their ability to apply a trauma-informed approach to their leadership. Before attending the workshop, participants completed a baseline survey assessing their knowledge, attitude, and skill levels in relation to trauma-informed leadership. The training was implemented before the Fall 2021 semester, and participants completed the same survey again at the end of the marching season. Findings suggest that participants demonstrated a significant increase in trauma-informed leadership abilities after receiving training. Further, open-ended feedback exposed gratitude for the training, explicit examples of trauma-informed leadership in use between the baseline and post-survey, and a desire for additional training. Practical implications of these findings and possibilities for future implementation are discussed.