Building Resiliency

Using qualitative research, this book investigates resiliency development in secondary school communities. The five participants in this research were all recently-graduated secondary school students who self-identified as “at-risk/resilient” and completed one-on-one interviews. The purpose of these interviews was to use graduate voices to identify how secondary schools are, or could be, promoting resiliency development. Emergent themes included the importance of a positive school culture, how one person can make a difference, and the importance of healthy social relationships. Educational stakeholders need to “understand” risk and resiliency, meaning showing compassion and empathy, having knowledge of at-risk backgrounds, recognizing the need for extrinsic resiliency supports, and acknowledging that resiliency is intrinsically individual. This research is one step towards creating an educational atmosphere that nurtures resiliency in all our “at-risk” youth.