A majority of Tennessee’s youth experience one or more Adverse Childhood Experiences. These are stressful or traumatic experiences that interfere with a child’s ability to learn and maintain positive physical and mental health. (Source: Tennessee Department of Health)
Afterschool and summer programs can help youth build resiliency by helping children manage stress and feelings of uncertainty.
There are many simple, no or low-cost strategies that afterschool programs can do that promotes a physically and emotionally safe environment, promote positive relationships, and empower youth with tools and knowledge to make good choices. Pick a few strategies you would like your program to implement and add it to your Afterschool Heals Tennessee action plan template.
Resources
- Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers – These Top 10 Tips from the American Psychological Association are evidenced to help build resilience in youth.
- Keys to Quality Afterschool – This tool spotlights best practices to support positive social-emotional learning specifically in out-of-school time settings.
- SEL Toolkit – Afterschool Alliance produced this toolkit that fully explains Social Emotional Learning, its importance in afterschool, examples of programs in action, and professional development resources for afterschool providers.
- Trauma-Informed Approach in Afterschool – Building a trauma-informed care approach for afterschool programs & community-based organizations.
Four Additional Resources
Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive
Kernels of Practice for SEL: Low-Cost, Low-Burden Strategies
Love in a Big World – Practical SEL for 21st-Century Learners
Lion’s Quest – Social and Emotional Learning for Out-of-School Time