A Bit More About Resilience
In gathering information for this article I was fortunate to connect with Michael Ungar, PhD, founder and Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University where he also holds the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience. Among other resources, Dr. Ungar brought my attention to What Works, A Manual for Designing Programs that Build Resilience. This section borrows heavily from the manual’s Introduction.
Ungar tells the story of the Aquarelle program in Brazil that serves about 200 children living in impoverished neighbourhoods. The children in these neighbourhoods have schools to attend but their parents send them to scrounge for recyclables, beg on the streets, or work as domestic labourers instead. Aquarelle provides an alternative through recreation workers and educators who offer “…an energizing, hope inspired blend of arts, music, sports, tutoring, and mentorship that is transforming children’s lives”. The early pages of the manual also make an important point about resilience, that it isn’t just about the personal traits that allow children to do well in life despite difficult beginnings, but is also about the process through which communities apply psychological, social, political, economic and even environmental resources that help children become the best they can be. (What Works, page 6)
As a person who thinks a lot about the opportunities and challenges facing the recreation sector, I am always encouraged when I learn of professionals from other sectors who recognize the benefits of recreation, despite viewing it through a very different lens. Michael Ungar, a Social Worker describing the recreational components of Aquarelle, is a great example of that and makes it clear that recreation belongs in the discussion about how to help build individual, family and community resiliency.
A local example of a resilience-building initiative began in 2011 when Phoenix Youth Programs was invited by residents of the Mulgrave Park community to collaborate in the design and development of fun, meaningful and relevant programs and opportunities for youth age 12 and above. The resulting program, Phoenix Youth & Community Centre (PYCC), opened its doors after several years of working with local youth to organize workshops, develop teen centres, and provide after-school programs. Ongoing efforts also include arts and recreation, leadership, community building, and education and employment-related programs and supports. (Phoenix Youth Programs Annual Report)