Resiliency & Mental Health

Out-of-school time (OST) programs provide the unique opportunity to boost resiliency in children and youth by fostering positive relationships, offering flexible support, and developing skills such as problem-solving and self-regulation. These programs allow for increased mentorship, emotional support, and positive communication that might be missed during the school day. Safe, effective afterschool programs provide a space to create positive childhood experiences (PCEs) in youth. PCEs have been found to promote positive youth outcomes, even in the presence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (Samji et al., 2024; Lynne et al., 2025). Florida After School hopes to uplift programs to foster positive childhood experiences to build resiliency in the youth they serve.

What Is Resiliency?

While we can't control the circumstances our young people might face, we can boost them with the ability to cope and develop resilience. Resiliency is the ability to adapt to and recover from stress and adversity. Resilience is a skill that is learned and developed over time. OST programs provide the flexibility and availability to teach this vital skill.

Why Is Resiliency Important?

Afterschool programs prevent youth from engaging in risky behaviors such as substance use or violence. Engaging in risky behaviors is associated with less successful adult outcomes (Pergamit et al., 2001). Mental health challenges in kindergarten-aged youth are associated with academic underachievement by the end of elementary school (Schuurmans et al., 2022). Thus, it is important that afterschool programs work toward becoming a positive childhood experience for all their youth.