Our nation is at a critical point in recognizing the value of non-cognitive skills to support the rigor of academics & life. Author Paul Tough says optimism, social agility, and resilience are the core skills possessed by at-risk children who overcame adversity. ResilientKids' innovative social and emotional learning program works with students during the school day, promoting the development of life-long skills that will serve them now and into adulthood as they become our future leaders.
The 2014 American Psychological Association survey shows that teens are reporting higher rates of stress than adults, especially during the school year. Stress is not an ideal state for learning, as it impacts memory and learning-readiness, and also lowers the body's immune system. In RI, more than a third of all public schools in the core urban districts have been identified for intervention because of poor academic performance.
Stress is part of life. However, stress can become more tolerable when we learn how to respond to it. By teaching mindfulness to these 60 students for an hour each week, they will learn how to increase their self-awareness, confidence, empathy and overall wellness as a way to combat stress, focus on learning, and make wise choices.
Long-term, these students will learn tools to succeed not only in school but in life! They will increase time in their seats learning, increase academic performance, and reduce sick days, visits to the nurse's office, and violence at school, making it a more learning-ready environment for the school as a whole.
