Resilience in Youth

Some children achieve success, despite severely adverse circumstances including poverty, fragmented family life, illness, stress and other social and physical challenges. They are able to function well and develop into successful learners and productive citizens. These children are often called “resilient”.

What are the factors that contribute to resiliency? Understanding what makes a child resilient is important for individuals and for society at large.

British Columbia is one of ten provinces/territories that have confirmed their participation in the National Project on Resilience in Youth, a provincial/territorial project to generate interest in strategies that support resilience in youth, led by The Learning Partnership. The project is designed to raise awareness, highlight best practices, and increase public engagement and knowledge exchange through provincial/territorial dialogues among a diverse group of stakeholders, culminating in a national conference in Winnipeg on November 17-19, 2008.

On May 26, 2008, the B.C. Roundtable on Resilience in Youth, co-hosted by the ministries of Education and Health, was convened in Vancouver. Led by Dr. Kimberley Schonert-Reichl, a leading expert in youth resilience research from the University of British Columbia, the roundtable participants included educators; school administrators and trustees; university researchers; public health nurses; representatives from the ministries of Children and Families, Education and Health; and other stakeholders from the education, health and justice fields.

The B.C. roundtable discussions examined the efficacy of existing practices and policies, gaps between existing services and what is needed, propositions for cross-cutting strategies and solutions, and suggested measures for evaluating the success of proposed strategies and solutions.

A report on the B.C. roundtable was developed and submitted to The Learning Partnership in June 2008. The report was also accompanied by success stories submitted by roundtable participants. The Learning Partnership compiled reports and success stories submitted from all of the provincial/territorial roundtables to create a foundational document that guided the discussions at a national conference in November 2008.