Collective Resilience: How can we be well TOGETHER?

In August, Acknowledge Alliance was thrilled to be a part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley’s Wellness Day 2024. BGCSV offers innovative and effective afterschool and summer enrichment programs primarily for low-income, at-risk Santa Clara County youth ages 5-18+. BGCSV’s trained youth development staff provide mentoring relationships in six core program areas: Education, Technology, Character & Leadership, Health, Arts, and Sports. On Wellness Day, over 230 of BGCSV’s youth development staff gathered to embrace the day’s theme of Holistic Wellness: nurturing the mind, body and spirit.

Acknowledge Alliance Program Manager Poonam Raj Singh, Ed.M, PCC gave the keynote address titled “Collective Resilience: How can we be well TOGETHER?” Poonam shared her own wellness journey as a youth development professional, and guided attendees in figuring out what wellness means together by discussing concepts around collective resilience. The group learned how we can draw from our own stories, nature and indigenous wisdom, Black feminist thought, and radical imagination to anchor our definitions of collective resilience. Afterall, as Black feminist author, professor and activist bell hooks said, “rarely if ever are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”

Resilience Consultants Cheyenne Berry, Cheree Clark, and Cortney Richardson were also on hand providing wellness check-ins and self-care resources. From having confidential conversations about work-related or personal issues, providing mental health resources, or sharing fun Self-Care Bingo cards, our staff loved meeting members of the BGCSV team. We are so inspired by the amazing youth development professionals of BGCSV and appreciate all they do to help our community’s young people thrive!