History

The Original ACE Study

Our Beginning

In 2011, Iowa ACEs 360 emerged from a pivotal moment: Dr. Robert Anda, co-author of the original ACE Study, presented his research on adverse childhood experiences at a state conference of about 200 attendees. His message sparked statewide interest in understanding how trauma affects individuals, families, and communities.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

The ACE Study was unique in several ways:

The message was simple even though the idea was complex: trauma has a ripple effect.
There's a personal connection in recognizing your own struggles or the struggles of someone you know.
The research shows a significant stair-step progression that links an increase in ACEs to an increase in risk in many poor outcomes and that data continues to show consistent results as studies have been replicated in other areas.
The data relates to every sector including health care, education, business, government, and nonprofit.

Data, Awareness, and Collaboration

Building a Statewide Coalition

Following that event, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation invited leaders across multiple sectors—healthcare, education, government, nonprofits, and business—to join together to gather Iowa-specific data and expand awareness.

The Iowa ACEs 360 Coalition was formed among all of the partners to drive these two efforts. United Way of Central Iowa provided funding to hire a coordinator to support the group’s work. Over time, the work expanded into fostering response strategies within sectors, policies, and Iowa communities.

"It was very clear at that first convening at the table, we needed to get the word out, tell the story make sure people knew this research. But in order to be most effective at that, we needed to have Iowa data."

Suzanne MineckIowa ACEs Board Member

From Insight to Systems Change

Growing the Movement

Over time, the coalition has evolved from raising awareness to driving trauma-informed policies, practices, and partnerships. Our history reflects the collective effort to help every Iowan heal, build resilience, and thrive.

Today, Iowa ACEs 360 operate as a non-profit organization, working with partners across the state to create changes within organizations, systems, and communities that create the conditions for Iowans to heal from trauma and thrive. Learn about our three priority areas of work