It all started with a TEDx talk, discovering how we are changing education by building resilience

A few days ago an A-level student contacted me and asked if they could have a transcript of my TEDx talk. I did the talk in June 2019 and probably haven’t watched it in its entirety since. For twelve weeks I could be seen driving around muttering the speech to myself, listening to it on my phone or rewriting it, so by the time I got to the big night, I was just glad I had delivered but wasn’t in a rush to hear it again.

The student had chosen to do a speech on a controversial topic, flattered I duly set the software running and thought I would check it for mistakes as it recorded my words on the screen. What I didn’t expect next was to be crying.

As I sat there listening to the nerves in my voice quieten, I also heard the conviction of someone who proposed another way of education. For teaching to be based on a well-being framework – giving children skills for life, and I began to cry. Why? because despite the pandemic (or maybe because of it) I am now working with Tina and Gareth and we are doing exactly that.

The programme we have created is based on positive self-talk, learning to fail, resilience, emotional management and the importance of our relationships. How many of us adults do we see that have negative self-talk? Hell, how many of us listen to that negative self-talk? How many do we see that struggle with failure and often give up? How many of us are struggling right now with our own emotions as we begin to ease the lockdown?

As the world starts to open up, we need to look at education and how we can teach skills to the youngest of our population. With teachers already overwhelmed and playing catch up, it can’t be an after-school training like the traditional model. So we have come up with a digital programme that:

1) Gets the children moving – improving their balance, coordination and brain integration

2)Teaches them emotional management skills – from friendships to anger to learning to fail

3)Supports their confidence and wellbeing – with interactive stretches and breathing techniques.

How can you help?

You can donate here – https://gofund.me/0e3e16bf

or

You can fundraise to get the programme to a preschool or nursery near you

or

Nurseries and preschoolers can fundraise to buy the programme themselves.

And because it is so important to us every time money goes into that pot another child or preschool benefits. So far we have over 120 children that will receive lifetime access to the programme for free. Think of Tom’s Shoes buy one give one principle that is exactly what we are doing!

The programme is full of interactive, life skills packaged up with fun characters like Tiger, Snow leopard, Crane, Mantis & Cobra and obviously us three crazy humans too. It will get the kids active, and give them the tools to manage their own emotions and challenges that life can throw at them.

If you would like to help support the little people of our future then please click the button on the GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/f/theresilientkid?utm_campaign