Assoc Professor Tom Brunzell
School of Education and Society, Faculty of Education
University of Melbourne
About
Associate Professor Tom Brunzell (PhD) is an internationally recognised leader in trauma-informed education and wellbeing sciences at the University of Melbourne, Faculty of Education. He examines the impacts of trauma-informed pedagogies through the interdisciplinary integration of the sciences of learning, engagement, and wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on trauma-informed school and education leadership to support both student and staff outcomes. His scholarly works, including books and peer-reviewed publications, are widely accessible through academic databases and global booksellers. Tom was the creator of the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) and is now an Honorary Fellow at Berry Street Yooralla, in addition to being an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University School of Education.
Strand: Learning as Growth
From Compliance to Connection: An Integrated Approach for Learning, Wellbeing and Engagement
Schools today face a complex challenge: supporting academic excellence while responding to rising levels of stress, disengagement, and uncertainty among both students and educators. Yet decades of research from school engagement, neuroscience, developmental psychology, and learning sciences now suggest an integrated pedagogical approach: learning flourishes when students experience high-expectations environments—grounded in safety, connection, and belonging.
Drawing on his original research in trauma-informed education, wellbeing, positive education, and school leadership, as well as lessons learned from working with schools internationally, Dr Tom Brunzell, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, will provide strategies to intentionally create the relational conditions that enable both students and educators to thrive. The session will demonstrate how emotionally safe environments support engagement, resilience, and productive academic challenge while enabling educators to respond more effectively to learners experiencing adversity, stress, or disconnection.