The foundation of Resiliency Initiative’s work is based on the concepts of resiliency and developmental frameworks, which are positive experiences, relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that all people need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.

The initial Youth Resiliency framework is grounded in research on child and adolescent development in resiliency, risk prevention, and protective factors. Surveys of more than 6,000 grade 6 to 12 youth in communities across the city of Calgary consistently show the importance of resiliency to restraint from risk and promote positive behaviours.

As such, youth who experience more of these resiliency factors or developmental strengths are more likely to make healthy choices and avoid a wide range of risk behaviour patterns.

The relative absence of these factors in the lives of young people in our communities has prompted many of our service sector agencies, federal/provincial/municipalities departments, educational/social institutes and the various community stakeholder associations to focus on an appropriate strength-based assessment measures and developmental therapeutic templates to advocate for children and family services and programs.