How to build bounce-back kids, families, schools, and communities is the theme of Resiliency In Action: Practical Ideas for Overcoming Risks and Building Strengths in Youth, Families, and Communities. It is edited by internationally recognized resiliency expert, trainer, and consultant Nan Henderson, M.S.W., whose publications are used in more than 25 countries. The book is a research-based, practical guide for educators, counselors, parents, community organizers, and mentors and is filled with the latest strategies for helping children, families, schools, and communities bounce back from risk, stress, trauma, and adversity.More than two dozen experts in the fields of child, family, organizational, and community resiliency contributed to the book, which challenges a widely accepted myth about people especially young people, who experience risks, stress, trauma, and adversity in their lives, according to Henderson. Contrary to popular opinion, the majority of these individuals, over time, do bounce back and do well. There is a growing body of scientific research from several fields that documents this fact and yields important information as to what can be done every day to facilitate this process of overcoming.This book is really three books in one: it contains the most recent research, hands-on and practical strategies, and stories of resilient individuals and best practices. The book includes 60 chapters grouped in seven sections: The Foundations of Resiliency, Resiliency and Schools, Resiliency and Communities, Resiliency Connections (Mentoring, Support, and Counseling), Resiliency and Youth Development, Resiliency and Families, and Resiliency and the Brain.

The story of life in inner-city America and the education of its people is often recounted as a tragedy; the ending is often predictable and usually dire, highlighting deficiency, failure, and negative trends. As with most social problems, children and youth in the inner cities are hit hardest. But this dismal view is only half of the full picture. The cities of our nation are a startling juxtaposition between the despairing and the hopeful, between disorganization and restorative potential. Alongside the poverty and unemployment, the street-fights and drug deals, are a wealth of cultural, economic, educational, and social resources. Often ignored are the resilience and the ability for adaptation which help many who are seemingly confined by circumstance to struggle and succeed "in the face of the odds." This book helps to broaden the utilization of ways to magnify the circumstances known to enhance development and education, so that the burden of adversity is reduced and opportunities are advanced for all children and youth -- especially the children and youth of the inner cities who are in at-risk circumstances. The focus is on: * raising consciousness about the opportunities available to foster resilience among children, families, and communities, and * synthesizing the knowledge base that is central to implementing improvements which serve to better the circumstances and educational opportunities of children and families. This volume is intended for a wide audience of readers, but particularly those who are in a position to shape public policy and deliver educational and human services.