Charleston Hosts Homegrown Hope Summit on Childhood Trauma
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Coalition of West Virginia is holding its annual summit in Charleston this week.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Homeschooling
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The Adverse Childhood Experiences Coalition of West Virginia hosts its annual Homegrown Hope Summit in Charleston this week. Thirty-two professionals, including pastors and therapists, traveled from across West Virginia to attend trainings, seminars, and panels.
Why it matters
The summit focuses on preventing adverse childhood experiences and supporting people affected by them. It brings together professionals who work with children and families across the state.
The figure of 32 attending professionals comes from the coalition's own attendance count, with no comparison to prior years provided. Specific outcome measures for the summit's prevention efforts were not reported.
The players
Adverse Childhood Experiences Coalition of West Virginia
A statewide coalition that organizes efforts to prevent and respond to adverse childhood experiences across West Virginia.
The details
The summit includes trainings, seminars, and panels aimed at preventing adverse childhood experiences. A testimonial panel featuring people who have overcome such experiences will be held Thursday.
Timeline
This week: Homegrown Hope Summit held in Charleston.
Thursday: Testimonial panel for people who have overcome adverse childhood experiences.
Legacy Framework
The summit builds on the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, a joint Kaiser Permanente and CDC research effort that linked childhood trauma to later health outcomes. West Virginia's coalition applies that framework to state-level prevention and community training.
Parents, pastors, and therapists in Charleston and across West Virginia can seek out the summit's trainings and panels to learn prevention approaches. The Thursday testimonial panel offers a direct opportunity to hear from people who have lived through adverse childhood experiences.
The takeaway
Preventing adverse childhood experiences depends on training the adults who work closely with children. Professionals gathering to share prevention methods is one practical way communities build that capacity.
Further reading
For related coverage of family-centered learning and child development, see Homeschooling.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WOWK 13 Huntington.
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Do you think West Virginia is doing enough to prevent childhood trauma?
