The Resilience Game Plan

The Resilience Game Plan: The Playbook for Developing Cognitive, Communication, and Mindfulness Life Skills - Sixth Grade Edition provides an intervention curriculum to instill resilience. This playbook introduces social, emotional, cognitive, and biological self-regulation skills to help tweens improve their short- and long-term health outcomes.

This playbook includes the following self-regulation life skills and eight topics:

•Social Self-Regulation Life Skills 

- Media Literacy

- Cyberbullying

•Emotional Self-Regulation Life Skills

- Self-Worth

- Caring Culture

•Cognitive Self-Regulation Life Skills

- Impulse Control/Risk-Taking Innovator

- Flexible Thinking

•Biological Self-Regulation Life Skills

- Getting Grounded

- Brain-Gut Connection

In The Resilience Game Plan (The RGP), when a difficult life situation hits, students are going to train their brain to:

1. Acknowledge the life situation-processing any emotions.

2. Allow themselves to feel their emotions-describing their feelings of anxiety or distress.

3. Keep moving forward-applying the below steps to overcome their situation.

Colleen Carter Ster earned her Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education in Psychology in 2023 out of concern for the self-harm cases among youth worldwide. Ster created The Resilience Game Plan: The Playbook for Developing Cognitive, Communication, and Mindfulness Skills to provide a curriculum for middle schools, high schools, and colleges to help adolescents and emerging adults build resilience by giving them tools to understand how the brain works and help them deal with difficult life situations. In the mid to late 1990s, Ster served as Executive Vice President for The Electronic Bookshelf (EBS). During her time at EBS, she created curriculum questions for K-12th grade students and developed continuing education credit materials for EBS Reading Power Seminars. Ster conducted training seminars to administrators, library media specialists, and teachers around the United States for several years. In 1998, EBS was acquired by Scholastic, Inc., and Ster became the Director of Marketing Services for Scholastic Reading Counts! in the Learning Ventures Division of Scholastic in New York, New York. During Ster's years traveling around the United States conducting "Reading Power" training seminars for EBS, she listened to what types of books educators were looking to purchase for their students. Time and again, the answer was to find literature to help students when they were struggling with difficult life scenarios. In 2008, Ster addressed this need by founding a children's publishing business, Reflections Publishing LLC. ALA Booklist called the first Reflections Publishing LLC book series "a unique series by children, for children." This special collection by Reflections Publishing LLC is a book series called "Kids Helping Kids Through Books." As a Girl Scout leader, Ster consulted with her troop members and developed the Reflections Publishing Communication Assessment. Since 2008, this assessment has been a useful tool for K-12 students and their caregivers (parents/guardians), emerging young adults, and adults. The purpose of the assessment is to help individuals understand how their communication skills play a role and affect the way they communicate with others. Ster wants children, tweens, teens, and emerging adults to understand that communication skills are valuable interpersonal tools for them to learn at a young age so they can use these skills during their academic years, when entering into personal relationships, and navigating professional work environments. The Reflections Publishing Communication Assessment and its concepts are incorporated throughout The Resilience Game Plan playbook. Ster is vested in continuing her education to keep The Resilience Game Plan an up-to-date and valuable tool for elementary, middle, and high schools and colleges. As a postgraduate student in the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education, Ster developed in-person and HyFlex training materials that best support users of The Resilience Game Plan intervention program. With a focus on taking neuroscience, neurobiology, self-harm, and cognitive behavior therapy courses, Ster is determined to try to reduce self-harm cases among youth around the world. Ster wants to get The Resilience Game Plan into the hands of every student-providing students their best chance to obtain strong, short- and long-term developmental and well-being outcomes. Proudly born and raised in Indiana, Ster has called San Diego home for more than 20 years, and is married with three daughters and a son-in-law.

Andrea Clark, an experienced educator and community advocate, began her journey in education with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Middle/Jr. High School Education and a Minor in English from Northwest Missouri State University. She furthered her academic pursuits with a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, equipping her with a comprehensive understanding of educational principles and best practices.Andrea's career has been marked by various teaching and leadership roles in middle and high school settings across Missouri, Kansas, and California. As an English teacher, she implemented innovative instructional strategies to support English Language Learners and fostered students' voices and reading interests. Her tenure as an Independent Study Coordinator in the San Dieguito Union High School District in San Diego County was particularly impactful. She led a district-wide pilot program and oversaw academic progress while maintaining rigorous administrative standards.Andrea's commitment to education extends beyond the classroom. She is deeply engaged in community advocacy, serving as a Rugby Team Manager for the San Diego Mustang Youth Rugby Club and Torrey Pines High School Rugby Team. Her role as Fundraising Chairperson for The Childhood League Center in Columbus, OH, allowed her to lead successful fundraising initiatives, mobilize volunteer teams, and cultivate strategic partnerships to support early childhood education.Andrea's dedication to education and leadership has been recognized through various accolades, including being named a Who's Who Among America's Teachers, a Teacher of the Year Nominee, and a Kappa Delta Pi National Education Honor Society member. These honors testify to her unwavering commitment to educational excellence and student success.Her husband, Michael, started his business and is a competitive natural bodybuilder. Michael and Andrea are proud parents to their son, Maximus, who is pursuing a dual degree in Psychology and Business at Ohio State University. Maximus excels academically and thrives as the captain of the university's rugby team and as a player for the semi-professional team, the Aviators, based in Columbus. In 2017, their family welcomed Mohab into their lives, and he quickly became an integral part of their family. Mohab attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he pursued his passion for football while earning his degree in Aeronautical Engineering. His determination and dedication inspire them all.As Andrea continues her professional journey, she remains dedicated to empowering students, fostering inclusive learning environments, and positively impacting education. Whether in the classroom, within the community, or through advocacy efforts, she is committed to championing every learner's limitless potential and creating opportunities for growth, achievement, and success.

Sarah Novy is an experienced educator and dedicated professional in the field of education. Transitioning seamlessly into a managerial role at Follett Content Solutions, LLC, Sarah played a pivotal role in shaping educational resources and strategies. Her leadership was instrumental in integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) principles into curriculum development, focusing on the whole student. With a passion for fostering learning environments that inspire both students and educators, Sarah's career journey has been marked by innovation and commitment.Before joining Follett, Sarah used her skills as a master's level educator, shaping young minds across a spectrum of grades from PreK to 7th. Her academic journey includes a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education K-9, paired with Middle School endorsements in science, social studies, and language arts. Furthermore, Sarah holds certification as a K-4 reading teacher and has pursued advanced studies, earning a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction.Beyond her professional accolades, Sarah's dedication to education is deeply rooted in her personal life. As a parent, she understands the importance of fostering growth and nurturing potential, both inside and outside the classroom. Sarah finds joy in spending quality time with her adult children and their beloved rescue pup Luna, embodying her commitment to family and community. Her unwavering passion for education continues to drive her work, as she seeks to empower students and educators to thrive in today's ever-evolving educational landscape.