For Schools:

 Life happens and when we hit bumps in the road, we all feel better when we have a game plan to help navigate our lives through any difficult life scenario. When tough situations happen, students get to feel their emotions and be upset; however,  the end goal is for them to always be moving forward with a growth mindset and not to get stuck in any situation.

In The Resilience Game Plan (The RGP), when a difficult life situation hits, students train their brain to:

1. Acknowledge the life situation and process any emotions;
2. Give themselves permission to feel the way they feel—describing their feelings of anxiety or distress; and
3. Always keep moving forward—what steps are they going to take to overcome their feared or difficult situation?

In The RGP, students will incorporate these three concepts tackling any life situation with the following Six Success Strategies:

• Strategy #1: Understanding Brain Power - See where and how this situation affects their brain.
• Strategy #2: Learning Cognitive Skills - Identify thoughts, rate feelings, and the steps to overcome their obstacle.
• Strategy #3: Learning Communication Skills - Gain interpersonal techniques to improve their relationships.
• Strategy #4: Learning Mindfulness Skills - Learn emotional self-regulation tools to help process their feelings.
• Strategy #5: Developing New Habits - Implement the “Habit Tracker’s“ daily healthy habits, along with Strategies #1 - #4.
• Strategy #6: Reducing Anxiety - Set daily goals using the “Anxiety-Buster To-Do List.”

• Warm-up  Life Topics:

1. Academic Pressures
2. Habit Formation: New Habits and Breaking Old Habits 
3. What’s Your Legacy? Knowing Your Core Values 
4. Who Are Your Mentors/Coaches? 

• Life Choices:

1. Self and Identity - Character Development
2. Social Media - Setting Boundaries
3. Time Management - Life Balance

• Life Crises:

1. Abuse - Domestic, Physical, and Verbal
2. Anxiety
3. Depression
4. Self-Harm
5. Substance Abuse - Alcohol and Drugs

• Relationships:

1. Bullying/Cyberbullying
2. Family
3. Friendship
4. Peer Pressure     

“Students are coming to our classrooms with more anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation than ever before. The rise in case is staggering and can cause life-altering or life-ending decision-making. The Resilience Game Plan (The RGP) should be an essential curricular resource in every school to help students change the trajectory of their mental health. By providing students an understanding of the brain, the importance of communication, and ways to develop new, valuable habits, The RGP supports students and the opportunity to navigate life successfully.” 

- Kristen R. Bilkey, Ed.S.., M.S.Ed., Superintendent, Northwestern School Corporation, Kokomo, Indiana 

“These are valuable information and exercises for not only adolescents, but just as importantly, for all adults who desire to become thriving individuals. Certainly, I recommend this curriculum for high school Life Studies/Advisory or even Diversity classes. These experiential activities allow us to see the diversity we all own as human beings, which may or may not depend on our ethnicity, race, or socio-economic status. I highly recommend that this curriculum be a part of all of our lives. We all need a game plan.”

- Dr. Randolph Ward, Ed.D., retired San Diego County Superintendent of Schools, Executive Director of Teaching for America

“The author of The Resilience Game Plan (The RGP) provides a compassionate workbook that tweens and teens will find helpful and fun to use. In an honest fashion, students are told life is not always easy, and they need a game plan to help them cope. The RGP 

is a well-thought-out playbook that provides adolescents common sense life skills they will use for the rest of their life.”

- Paula A. Yohe, B.S.Ed., M.A.Ed., M.L.I.S., Director of Technology and Information Systems, Dillon School District IV, South Carolina

 “The Resilience Game Plan (The RGP) is a key intervention tool administrators should implement in all 7th-12th grade homeroom 

or advisory classrooms. It includes ‘Key Takeways’ to ensure students learn the crucial concepts. Also, learning about the brain and cognitive, communication, and mindfulness skills is extremely beneficial. Educators and administrators will find they will benefit emotionally right along with their students. The RGP comes with a facilitator’s guide to help support educators in using this workbook and identify at-risk students to help end self-harm cases in our schools. The RGP is backed by over 300 evidenced-based research articles, providing the most pertinent advice to best support educators and students.”

- Andrea Clark, M.A.Ed.: Administration, San Dieguito Union High School District, California