How to support the development of resilience in elementary school children: a parent handbook

This project was developed in partnership with Alice Birney Elementary School in Eureka, California and seeks to address the need of support for families in the Elementary grade levels. The elementary grade levels are defined as grades Transitional Kindergarten (T-K) – 5th grade. The way in which this project provides that support is through the creation of a handbook that will outline the ways in which parents can assist in the healthy development of resilience in their children. This project facilitates interviews with crucial members of a child's support system, including parents, teachers, and local service providers. The feedback given from these key populations ensures that the handbook is relevant to this particular geographic region. In this project, resilience is defined as how a person is able to cope with adverse or stressful experiences in their lives in healthy, positive ways. Children are not efficiently adept to manage the life stressors of academic and home life without support and guidance from adults in their lives. This handbook will address the ways in which parents can ensure the healthy progression of coping strategies within their children so as to ensure that success is possible both in school and life.