Schools Preparing for an Unprecedented Fall with the Resilient Youth Program

Students and teachers are in for a school year like never before as districts plan to implement changes due to COVID-19. Facemasks, temperature checks and a combination of both in-person and remote learning days are just a few of the changes being discussed in faculty committees around the United States.

All of these changes are likely to cause a tremendous amount of stress for students of all ages. To help students cope with this stress, several innovative high schools in the Chicago suburbs will be implementing The Resilient Youth Program in their physical education classes.

The Resilient Youth Program was created by Harvard Medical School researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital. This program teaches students a multitude of coping skills to manage stress, build resilience and reach their full potential. Concepts and skills such as…

  • Understanding stress physiology and personal responses to stress;

  • The negative stress cycle;

  • Relaxation Response principles;

  • Mindfulness;

  • Body awareness; and

  • Positive Psychology

…are just a few of the topics addressed in this comprehensive, research validated curriculum.

Educational leaders such as John Fiore, head of the Physical Education and Wellness Department at Naperville North High School, identified a need for all students to learn these skills that promote strong mental and emotional health, especially in today’s world. “The timing of implementing such a curriculum could never be more important than it is now.  Our students need the skills and tools to manage their thoughts and emotions during adverse times so they can ultimately become the best versions of themselves,” John said.

John explained further why he selected this particular program for students at Naperville North, “I wanted to implement some kind of resiliency program for our students, but struggled to conceptualize and organize the content.  The Resilient Youth Program puts the learning in a well-organized and easy to follow format. Once a student consistently applies these concepts throughout their everyday life, they will become better prepared to manage themselves in practically every situation.”

Programs like these would not be possible, however, without the generous support of kid and teen focused charitable organizations such as KidsMatter. KidsMatter is sponsoring several of these programs for schools in the Chicago suburbs. Kamala Martinez, CEO & Executive Director of KidsMatter stated, “According to the National Institute Research, 61% of teens in the United States were experiencing stress and anxiety on a daily basis even before the global pandemic. This stress and anxiety can negatively impact their school work, their family and peer relationships. We need to give youth healthy coping skills to deal with this and that is exactly what the Resilient Youth curriculum provides.”

Resilient Youth certified instructors have been especially busy this summer delivering teach-the-teacher programs and helping schools prepare to implement this curriculum. Tom Klisiewicz, President of Smart HWP, is one such instructor who has been training teachers on the program in the Chicagoland area. Tom is a passionate proponent of the program who believes, “every middle and high school PE class in America should have not only a daily physical fitness component, but a mental fitness one as well.”

Tom continued, “In many cases we wait until kids are in a crisis to teach them these skills, but that is the wrong way to go about it. These should be basic skills taught to every single child because they help them in just about every aspect of their lives – school, extra-curricular activities, peer relationships. The bonus then is that when the child faces a crisis later in life, they are more resilient and better able to handle that crisis because they have built these habits and practices before the crisis happened.”

So, to all the administrators, teachers and parents diligently implementing plans for the Fall to protect the physical health of students against COVID-19, don’t forget their mental and emotional health as well. This is perhaps an even more important aspect that must be addressed for the overall wellness and well-being of our children and teens.

Interested in implementing the Resilient Youth Program at your school? Contact Smart HWP representatives at contact@smarthwp.com today.

Tom Klisiewiczkids, teens