Avondale welcomes renowned Dr. Michael Ungar virtually for presentation on resilient children

Just in time for the upcoming school year, Avondale United Church and local community partners will host an event where parents, caregivers, coaches, educators and other members of the community can learn how to ensure kids become resilient.

Avondale United Church, in partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Stratford, the Huron-Perth Centre of Children and Youth and the Canadian Mental Health Association of Huron-Perth, will host a “Raising Resilient Children”: A Family, School and Community Approach – A Virtual Evening with Dr. Michael Ungar on Sept. 10 starting at 6:30 p.m.

Ungar of Dalhousie University is the founder and research chair of the Resilience Research Centre and is known for writing “Nine Things All Children Need to be Resilient,” which are:

• Structure

• Consequences

• Parent-child connections

• Lots and lots of strong relationships

• A powerful identity

• A sense of control

• A sense of belonging

• Fair and just treatment

• Physical and psychological safety

Ungar will be joining virtually over video call and anyone interested in learning more about his tips for raising resilient kids can either attend in-person at Avondale United Church or virtually via Zoom.

Avondale hosted a similar event back in February called “Raising Resilient Children and Youth: It Takes a Village,” where Ungar’s principals were applied. The event came after community engagement coordinator Aleah Graff and congregation member Terri Sparling said there were around 40 attendees who liked the event and the teachings, but they wanted to hear it from Ungar directly.

“Anybody can give him the most difficult situation, and he will find a way to weave those nine things so that that person leaves feeling like they've really got something to grab a hold of,” Sparling said.

Barbara Schoch, treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Stratford, said the organization’s priority is supporting children. The event will help parents teach children how to stay strong in challenging times, especially given the past few years.

"In our world today, raising resilient children is incredibly important. They've gone through so much stress with the pandemic. Our world is such upheaval in a lot of ways and just to give the parents and the caregivers and the professionals the tools to work with these children is just fantastic,” she said.

Anyone looking to register for the free event can send an email to eventsavondale@wightman.ca by Sept. 5, and must indicate if they are attending in-person or virtually.