1 Resilience: Building the Social Capacity of Children and Youth to Thrive September 2010

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 Defining Resilience Resilience can be understood as: The capacity of individuals to navigate to resources that sustain well-being; The capacity of individuals’ environment to provide resources; and The capacity of individuals, their families and communities to negotiate culturally meaningful ways for resources to be shared. Source: Dr. Michael Ungar (2008) Discussion Paper for The Learning Partnership

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 Wholistic Approach Focus on what is strong in children and youth and not what is wrong with them Focus on children and youth as resources and less on them as absorbing resources Focus on youth as at potential – help them explore their preferences, hopes, and intentions, not what we think they need Focus on what is important and less on what we think is urgent 3

Resiliency Initiatives © Canada is considered second in the world for academic performance by students 2.But is ranked in the bottom third of industrialized countries for social development (health and safety, family/peer support, subjective well-being) Unicef Report

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 To see all individuals as “at promise” rather than “at risk” is a fundamental shift that means facilitating rather than fixing, pointing to health rather than dysfunction, turning away from limiting labels and diagnosis to wholeness and well-being. 5 Fundamental Shift

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 Evidence for a Strength-Based Approach Research suggests that fifty (50) to seventy (70) percent of children growing up in families with mentally ill, drug/alcohol addicted, abusive, or criminally involved parents or in poverty-stricken families do overcome these risk factors to live functional, socially contributing lives (Benard, 1995) Evidence that many children who might have received a diagnostic label do, in fact, ‘grow out’ of their problems without professional help. (Cohen, 1993) There is also evidence that a predominant focus on deficits and highlighting problems can actually lead to poor outcomes (Miller et al., 1997)

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 Youth Resiliency Model

Resiliency Initiatives © Degree of Resilience

Resiliency Initiatives ©

Resiliency Initiatives © The Relationship Between Resilience and Core Competencies: A Model

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 Core Competencies 1)A Strength-Based Aptitude 2)Emotional Competence 3)Social Connectedness 4)Moral Directedness 5)Adaptability 6)Managing Ambiguity 7)Agency and Responsibility 11

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 “Stacking the Deck” Against Risk The idea is to collaboratively work to create an “ecology” around children and youth that makes it increasingly difficult for certain high risk problems to survive. W. Hammond

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 I am, I have, I can… I Am (Internal Characteristics/Strengths) + I Have (External Strengths/Relationships & Connections) = I Can (Core Competencies, Resiliency, Capacity for Success) Adapted from Edith Grotberg, International Resilience Research Project (IRR) Transacting

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 Criteria For Academic Success Skills Knowledge Transformational Relationships Healthy Core Competencies 14

Resiliency Initiatives © 2010 HELP CHILDREN AND YOUTH SURVIVE? OUTCOME FOCUSED Continue to concentrate our energy on changing the behavior and academic performance of the child or youth only – knowledge and skills focused OR HELP BUILD THE SOCIAL CAPACITY TO THRIVE? PROCESS FOCUSED Nurturing their ability to navigate challenging situations and respond to capacity building and strength-based school cultures - resourcing in ways for children and youth to experience success – nurturing a template for life The Challenge for School Systems