Street Smart Resilience: Resilience Education and Bridging the Achievement Gap for At-Risk Youth

The study of resilience, an individual’s ability to persevere and thrive in the face of adversity, is redefining how human service workers should deal with the healthy development for all individuals. This is predominantly so in educational contexts, where both policy and research point to the positive effects that resilience education can have on improving the academic success and social development for all students, specifically those labelled “at-risk”. This qualitative research study explores the various backgrounds, pedagogies and insights of three educators with experience in high priority schools within the City of Toronto. Through an in-depth analysis of various academic sources in collaboration with three qualitative interviews, I intend to critically investigate the ways in which middle school educators implement pedagogies that help bridge the achievement gap and foster resilience in at-risk youth. As I examine educators’ perspectives with regards to practical intelligence development, asset-based development, and culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy, I intend to assess the impact that these pedagogies have on student resiliency, achievement and their psychological, social, and cultural well-being. Analysis of both the related literature and the collected data suggests the importance of considering: teachers’ perceptions, students’ needs, pedagogical programing, and resilience educational pathways, which look to address the process of resiliency development and shaping resilient mindsets. The results of this research should provide practicing educators with accessible strategies that can support the resilient abilities of all students, while ensuring equitable engagement and academic success within all aspects of our students lives