We incorporated trauma-informed principles into the design of a Religion and Politics course and evaluated impacts on student learning. Students self-evaluated their learning throughout the course in reflections. Through content analysis, we found that students: (1) co-developed a sense of safety by engaging in respectful peer dialogue; (2) established trustworthiness through self-disclosure of personal beliefs; (3) collaborated with peers to develop a deeper understanding of course content; and (4) acquired transferable skills through choice in assessments. Students experienced empowerment by recognizing their personal growth and learning potential. Our study contributes innovative approaches for assessing how students experience trauma-informed course design.
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