College of Nursing associate professor Genevieve Chandler has received a University of Massachusetts Amherst Public Service Endowment Grant for a resilience project among young urban athletes at Springfield Central High School. These grants are designed to boost outreach, extend the campus resources into the surrounding community and enhance the public service mission of the university.
Dr Chandler’s goal is to work with the school to promote well-being among adolescents using the “Changing Minds, Changing Lives” program that has been successful among college-age young people. The core of this program is a five-week course that builds on student strengths and recognizes what they know through a group writing method that invites students to tell their own stories. She and school officials hope students gain a sense of strength and learned resilience, plus a foundation for healthy, informed decisions about behaviors, community engagement and future educational opportunities.