Resiliency Florida: Empowering Florida’s Students

About the Webinar:

This impactful session introduced Resiliency Florida, a comprehensive statewide initiative designed to strengthen mental health support systems and build resilience among Florida’s students, educators, and families. Dr. Andria Cole from the Florida Department of Education explained how Resiliency Florida represents a paradigm shift from reactive crisis response to proactive prevention and early intervention, recognizing that student wellbeing is foundational to academic success. The program focuses on creating supportive school environments where mental health is prioritized alongside physical health, providing educators with training and resources to recognize warning signs, implement evidence-based social-emotional learning programs, and connect students and families to appropriate services. Dr. Cole emphasized that building resilience isn’t just about addressing problems—it’s about equipping young people with coping skills, emotional regulation strategies, and supportive relationships that enable them to navigate challenges, recover from adversity, and thrive both in school and throughout their lives.

The presentation provided practical guidance for charter schools on implementing Resiliency Florida initiatives, including accessing available funding, training opportunities, and technical assistance. Dr. Cole outlined the core components of the program, which include mental health awareness education for staff and families, integration of social-emotional learning into daily instruction, establishment of threat assessment teams, expansion of school-based mental health services, and strengthening partnerships with community mental health providers. She shared resources and toolkits available through the Department of Education, discussed successful models from schools already implementing resiliency-focused approaches, and addressed common implementation challenges such as stigma reduction and resource allocation. The session emphasized that every school community member—from administrators and teachers to support staff and families—plays a vital role in creating cultures of care where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to seek help when needed. Attendees left with actionable next steps for bringing Resiliency Florida to their campuses and strengthening their school’s capacity to support student mental health and wellbeing.