Half of U.S. students come to school having experienced or still experiencing some type of trauma, violence, or chronic stress. This startling statistic presents a challenge to all educators, especially because very little professional literature focuses on teaching this population and doing so from a strengths-based perspective. Instead of looking at what is missing from the lives of these students and their families, the presenters will focus on the assets they bring and how to create a strengths-based classroom learning environment that extends to families and communities.