Finding the S.P.A.R.K. Beyond Trauma: Speaking to the Potential, Ability and Resilience inside EVERY Kid

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

The SPARK Initiative

Second Presenter's Institution

The SPARK Initiative

Third Presenter's Institution

na

Fourth Presenter's Institution

na

Fifth Presenter's Institution

na

Location

Session 3 (Sloane)

Strand #1

Mental & Physical Health

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

A deeper understanding of the human mind and its potential has been proven effective in increasing:

Mental Well-being/ Mental Health

Resilience

Impulse Control

Emotional Regulation

Communication Skills

Problem Solving Skills

Goal Setting Skills

Brief Program Description

There is a SPARK within every human-being, regardless of their circumstances, that cannot be damaged. This SPARK is the birthplace of resilience, well-being, commonsense, intelligence, solutions, creativity and innovation. This presentation will explore how, through a simple understanding of the mind, innate resilience is uncovered, and the stress resistance needed to overcome trauma is naturally formed.

Summary

Trauma, detached family/community units and severe lack of impulse control are both a recipe for crisis situations and seemingly inevitable challenges our young people, everywhere, have no choice but to face. Gone are the days where just getting to school was enough to keep them on a track to success. Once there, presence of mind is crucial to their ability to learn and succeed and given the state of their outside world, the state of their mind is rarely one of clarity. For educators, this can feel like a battle lost before even begun. Afterall, we can’t change our student’s outside circumstances, and we can’t bring them all home with us – though some of us have tried.

However, there is something on our side. Something we can count on, despite the baggage that walks through our classroom doors. There is a SPARK within every human-being, regardless of their circumstances, that cannot be damaged. This SPARK is the birthplace of well-being, commonsense, intelligence, solutions, creativity and innovation. This SPARK is keeper of hope and resilience and the builder of impulse control and stress resistance.

This presentation will explore:

  • A simple but profound understanding of how the mind work in relation to our experiences.
  • The invisible but intracule role state of mind plays in our successes and failures, moment to moment.
  • How, through an understanding the mind and recognition of our SPARK, innate resilience is uncovered, deeper connections are created, impulse control is elevated, and the stress resistance needed to overcome trauma is naturally formed.

Participants will leave with:

  1. A deeper understanding of how the mind works and impacts their day to day life.
  2. Recognition that resilience is innate within both themselves and the youth they serve.
  3. The ability to serve youth with a deeper sense of connection and teach youth the same.
  4. Understanding of how the recognition of innate resilience directly links to the availability of stress resistance in the face of trauma.

Evidence

We are excited to announce that the methods spoken about in this presentation have gone through rigorous, research and evaluation with a using both randomized and control groups. In 4 seperate studies, using over 800 participants, the methods have been deemed evidence-based with participants showing significant improvement in: levels of resilience (66%), emotional regulation including impulse control (72%), communication, decision making and problem solving skills (77%).

Biographical Sketch

Brooke Wheeldon-Reece, MBA, is the President/CEO of The SPARK Initiative, Inc. - a non-profit organization located in Tampa, FL. She is the co-author of the S.P.A.R.K. (Speaking to the Potential, Ability and Resilience inside every Kid) Mentoring Curriculum which is currently being researched through the Federal Bureau of Family and Children Services and taught to over 1,000 children in Tampa and around the world. Prior to her work with The SPARK Initiative, she was a national trainer for the Mendez Foundation’s nationally recognized Too Good for Drugs and Violence prevention programs. She also spent time as a business consultant and curriculum developer for Verizon and Learning.com. Brooke knew she found her home with The SPARK Initiative after watching her husband come out of a deep depression with seemingly little effort. She now dedicates her work to creating sustainable change throughout all populations via mentoring, coaching and teaching an understanding of the mind. Brooke lives in Florida with her husband Will and their two biological daughters and (almost) adopted niece and two nephews.

Ashley Hunt is The SPARK Initiative’s Director of Program Development, Youth Mentor and Co-Creator of the S.P.A.R.K. Mentoring curricula (Speaking to the Potential, Ability and Resilience inside Kids). After seeing her personal relationships transform through an understanding of the mind in 2015, she left her 11-year corporate career in insurance to pursue her passion for educating youth.

She now works as an integral part of the development, coordination and implementation of S.P.A.R.K. curriculum and programs in our own community and around the world. Ashley brings an understanding of the mind to life with her natural ability to connect with the youth she mentors. With every new group of youth she works with,, its only a matter of time before you hear her say "I love them so much, they are my favorite." Ashley lives in Tampa, FL with her husband Justin and two children.

Presentation Year

2020

Start Date

3-9-2020 3:00 PM

End Date

3-9-2020 4:15 PM

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Mar 9th, 3:00 PM Mar 9th, 4:15 PM

Finding the S.P.A.R.K. Beyond Trauma: Speaking to the Potential, Ability and Resilience inside EVERY Kid

Session 3 (Sloane)

There is a SPARK within every human-being, regardless of their circumstances, that cannot be damaged. This SPARK is the birthplace of resilience, well-being, commonsense, intelligence, solutions, creativity and innovation. This presentation will explore how, through a simple understanding of the mind, innate resilience is uncovered, and the stress resistance needed to overcome trauma is naturally formed.