How do you take care of yourself?

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Activities for promoting

healing & resilience�

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Healing Toolkit

Stations created by the Youth Leadership Healing Committee,

Growing Up Boulder &

Mayamotion Healing

Fall 2022

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Table of Contents

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1. Healing Project Introduction
2. Toolkit Attributes
3. Educational Standards
4. Healing + Feedback Stations
5. Links

Refer to the “At-A-Glance” document for details about each activity.

January - March 2022 Growing Up Boulder (GUB) and Mayamotion Healing (MMH) convened a Youth Leadership Healing Committee (YLHC) comprised of 21 area high school students. In response to the March 2021 King Soopers tragedy, the YLHC explored their lived experiences related to trauma, learned about and developed healing strategies

(see Somatic Experiences Station), and designed an event for the community.

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April 2022 The YLHC hosted and facilitated a “Healing Day of Remembrance” event at Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA). 200 community members of all ages attended.

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June - July 2022 Healing stations were developed as an interactive exhibit for Museum of Boulder visitors. 1,263 guests visited the museum during this time, including 312 children and youth.

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August 2022 YLHC leaders created this toolkit because of their belief that youth of all ages need continued opportunities to heal and learn what activities are best for promoting their own wellbeing and inner resilience.

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• Healing Project Introduction

Growing Up Boulder

2. Toolkit Attributes

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• Flexible: The toolkit includes 11 healing stations; you decide how many (and which) stations your students engage in. The 11th station is a feedback station.

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• Accommodates for all learners: The activities are suitable to use with people of all ages and abilities. Adjust your toolkit introductory remarks (and your follow-up discussions) according to the age of your students.

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• Creative: Art promotes healing because it forces us to forge a connection between our mind and our body. Unlike exercise, which works our body, or meditation, which clears our mind, art-making is thought to access both mind and body to promote healing.

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• Puposeful: In addition to the stations themselves promoting community connection and healing, the information shared in the “feedback station” will inform future work in our community.

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We kindly request that each leader using this toolkit completes our brief survey. As a thank you, Boulder area leaders will receive a gift certificate for an 8-inch Bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes (while supplies last).

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Growing Up Boulder

3. Social Emotional

Learning

(SEL) Standards

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Note: This section describes alignment with SEL standards, and not all grades have SEL standards related to the toolkit. All grade levels do, however, have standards that align with the toolkit in areas such as language arts, science, social studies, and visual arts.

1st Grade

• Identify appropriate ways to express emotions and cope with strong feelings.
• Describe and practice situations that require polite and empathetic responses such as please, thank you, and I'm sorry.
• Demonstrate strategies to resolve conflicts, such as sharing, collaboration, and appropriately advocating for personal needs.

2nd Grade

• Discuss the importance of thinking about the effects of one's actions on other people.
• Describe how you will use pro-social behaviors such as cooperation, being sensitive to the feelings of others, helping others, and being respectful of others.

Elementary Standards

Growing Up Boulder

3rd Grade

• Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills necessary to express emotions, personal needs, and wants in a healthy way.
• Describe positive ways to show care, consideration, and concern for others.

4th Grade

• Identify positive and negative ways of dealing with stress.
• Identify when you should seek help from a trusted adult in dealing with stress.

6th Grade

• Identify healthy ways to express needs, wants, and feelings.
• Identify emotions and feelings associated with loss and grief.

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Elementary Standards

Growing Up Boulder

High School

• Describe how mental, emotional and social health can affect health-related behaviors.
• Implement effective strategies for dealing with personal and environmental stress.

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Secondary Standards

Growing Up Boulder

4. Healing &

Feedback

Stations

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Poetry Wall Station

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What is it? Poetry can be a wonderful way to express how we are feeling. A Poetry Wall can consist of a variety of images, words and phrases that people of all ages create.

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Instructions: At this station, you’ll want to have a table pushed up against a bulletin board. Students will spend time looking closely at a variety of cut out inspiring magazine photographs displayed on the table. They’ll notice which one/s they are drawn to and how the images make them feel. Then, students will write a word, phrase, or short poem to express themselves. Finally, they will add their creations to the poetry wall. “Found” Poetry Variation: Have students create poetry using a variety of words that have been cut out of magazines, newspapers, and other print material.

Half-Hearts Station

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Instructions: At the Half-Hearts station, students draw and then label what they love about their family, school, community, or world–or their wishes for them. The facilitator can then pair half-hearts to make a “whole,, complete heart, symbolizing strength that comes when a community comes together.

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Altar Station

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What is it? Found across cultures, altars can be a beautiful and culturally inclusive way to remember and honor the lives and blessings of loved ones who we’ve lost. Appropriateness in organizing an altar may depend on your classroom demographic and representation.

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Instructions: Please keep in mind, while altars are an excellent practice for healing, they may feel overwhelming for newcomers. To reduce the potential for further harm or re-activation, please refer to the At-a-Glance before creating this optional station.

Envelope Exchange Station

What is it? The Envelope Exchange station reminds us

that the written word can be a powerful

way to heal or stay resilient, especially when the words are kind and offer hope and encouragement for the reader.

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Instructions: At this station, students pick

a written message from the envelope board to keep and then write an inspiring message to leave for

a classmate.

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Watercolor Crayon Resist Station

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Image by Deryn Wagner

Image by Jade Cody

Instructions: At the Watercolor Resist station, students will think about one or more things that they do to take care of or heal themselves (reference the “At-a-glance doc” for a list of prompts). Once students have an idea, they 1) draw it using crayons, and then 2) they paint with watercolors over their drawing. The wax in the crayon “resists” the watercolor and their drawing comes alive!

Sensory and Care Station

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Image by Ning Mosberger-Tang

What is it? At this station, students care for themselves by 1) learning about and using a variety of aromatherapy scents while 2) creating some time for quiet reflection and journaling. Scents like lavender, rose, cedarwood, and lemon are popular aromatherapies. Variation: students may use soft fabric (touch) instead of scents (smell).

Image by Ning Mosberger-Tang

Image by Ning Mosberger-Tang

Community Puzzle Station

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Images by Ning Mosberger-Tang

What is it? This community puzzle emphasizes the importance of “healing” and that we’re “all in this together.” We used this file with a 3D printer.

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Instructions: Students decorate one puzzle piece by first putting their name on the back of a piece and then drawing or writing something (small) on the front of the puzzle that represents healing to them OR something that brings them joy. Variation: If you don’t have a 3D printer, create this using tag or poster board and cutting out the number of pieces for your students.

Image by Jade Cody

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Somatic Experience Station

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Body Scan

Breathe

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Notice

Examine

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Self-care

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What is it? “Somatic experiencing” is a body-centered approach that expands on thoughts and feelings associated with a traumatic experience to include the natural bodily (somatic) responses. Through breathing, visualizations and body scans, youth connect to their body and nervous system, and gain skills and strategies that they can apply any time they might feel activated by a situation. Increased self-regulation and self-awareness are often lasting outcomes.

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Somatic Experience Station

Instructions:

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1. Notice how you are feeling in your body now. This can be done by bringing your awareness first to your breath.
2. Scan the sensations you notice in your body, from head to toe. Where do

you feel tension or relaxation? Be curious as to why this is so.

• When you notice tension, try taking a few big belly breaths. Keep returning

to your breath and repeating the body scan.

• Once you feel grounded in your breath and more aware of your body, begin to activate your senses, one at a time:
1. What do you SEE
2. What do you HEAR
3. What do you SMELL
4. What do you TASTE
5. What do you FEEL
• Return to your body and notice what has shifted.

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Alternative: use a pre-recorded somatic activity for children, such as “A boy and a bear” recording.

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Nature: A Pathway for Healing Station

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Engage with Nature

Through Your Senses

Indigenous peoples’ relationship with their traditional lands is a core part of their identity. Spirituality and connecting with nature as a form of healing is deeply rooted in their culture and history.

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Research also indicates that time in nature helps children, youth, and families cope with adversity and achieve resilience, recovery, and regulation. This includes interventions like nature therapy, forest bathing, and outdoor meditation, or simply playing outside, gardening, or taking a walk.

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Instructions: Go outside! Take a deep breath. Then take another one. Look up, down, and all around you. Notice something new. Listen for birdsongs. Search for smells you recognize. See what all your senses can tell you about the natural world, and find your place within it.

Finding Your Own Ways

to Connect with Nature

Options:

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• Spend time alone outside.
• Spend time in nature with family and friends.
• Go to outdoor concerts and other events.
• Participate in guided discovery programs.
• Go out on your own discovery mission.
• Take an outdoor yoga or meditation class.
• Sign up for a forest bathing program.

• Make art with natural materials that are dead, down, and detached.
• Learn about nature through educational exhibits and signs.
• Find out how you can help care for nature, and take action!
• Find other ways to connect with nature, and share the good news.

Create Your Own Wellness Poster Station

What is it? At this station, students create a mini poster of all the activities that help them heal, stay healthy and resilient.

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Instructions: Students take a piece of paper and fold it in half until they have the number of squares they need. They draw icons or pictures of their healing activities and then label them. Finally, students identify a place at home or at school where they can easily refer to their wellness poster.

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Variation: Students take action, by sharing their posters with their families. Together, they participate in daily or weekly family wellness activities.

Feedback For Healing Station

As the leader, use this link or the QR code below to go to a brief survey and answer the following questions with your class:

• “What helps you take care of yourself or heal?”
• “What wellness tools or activities do you need or want more of?”

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Boulder area teachers/leaders who fill out the survey will be awarded a gift certificate from one of Growing Up Boulder’s key sponsors - Nothing Bundt Cakes - for an 8” bundt cake. Thank you from our team to yours!

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5. Links

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Feedback Station link

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Boy and a Bear Relaxation Story

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Wellness Poster (English)

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Wellness Poster (Spanish)

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GUB/MMH’s Healing Report Part 1

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Growing Up Boulder website

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Mayamotion Healing website

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Bilingual Posters

Have questions?

Want to know more or be involved?

Contact cathy@growingupboulder.org

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Special Thanks

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• Community Foundation Boulder County for the Boulder County Crisis Fund grant that made this work possible

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• Amy Long, Nothing Bundt Cakes for generously donating gift certificates

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• The 21 youth who formed the Youth Leadership Healing Committee. Each of you are an inspiration for what’s possible when we learn and work together!

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Amairani Contreras Kelly Yang

Benji Dienstfrey Lila Nuttle

Darien Jones Liya Mei

Fernanda Laguna-Perez Melanie Echiveste Jara

Gabe Weksler Nevaeh Patt

Grace Reivich Paris Elena Eayre Ordonez

Greyson DeMarco Ronan Kiernan-Johnson

Holly Auerbach Una Basta

Jack Bieringer Violet Pyles

Jackson Moody Yari Olivares

Josh Cochran-Holmes

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