The United States is experiencing an unprecedented youth mental health crisis and research indicates that students from marginalized communities experience even more significant stressors. As we emerge from a global pandemic, it is clear that trauma increasingly impacts students' ability to focus and perform in our classrooms. As instructors within the higher education system, it is our responsibility to foster classrooms, online learning spaces, and communities that are conducive to learning in this challenging moment. In this presentation I will offer trauma-informed strategies and concrete examples of practices and assignments we can apply to our illustration pedagogy to create the structure, trust, and cultural awareness necessary to create a student-centered learning environment where students can thrive.