Creative Coping Tools: Build Bronx Resiliency

Funded Dec 24, 2016

I want to thank you so much for your donation and over the last months it has transformed my practice by making coping skills come to life.

I have been able to use the record player to help students practice music as a coping skill in counseling and teach toddlers in my Mommy & Me group nursery rhythms. Specifically, when teaching music as a coping skill students were surprised counseling could be so much fun as we danced, sang and reflected on how we can incorporate it into our life. When I added the element of the drums and rainbow bells they were amazed how an ordinary 30 minutes was transformed by making music. My pre and post feeling check-in during the music coping skill sessions indicate that children move up at least two numbers in positive feelings demonstrating your donation is making a difference.

In addition, the fish and train connecting toys not only help to strengthen the toddlers hand coordination but have inspired a new purpose. I have been using the toy fishes along with a bubble machine to assist students in developing positive visualization (pretending as a coping skill) and compassion skills. Students are encouraged to pretend they are the parent fish and must gather their "school" of fish." Next, they must pretend to feed their fish buy allowing each fish to eat a bubble. At the end, students report feeling happy and hopeful about learning other coping skills.

In short, my counseling and intervention practice has been transformed by your help. I am no longer solely reliant on counseling books but have a treasure chest of items to give students hands on experiences on how to apply coping skills.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Ilarraza