Warriors Gain Resiliency Thanks to 12-Week Program

Supporting service members and veterans who experienced an injury, either mental or physical, while serving, the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has launched a number of initiatives to achieve its mission. To that end, the organization developed Project Odyssey, a program aimed at providing veterans with the mental health skills and resources they need to carry on with a healthy and productive life.

Occurring over 12 weeks, Project Odyssey invites veterans to take part in a program that focuses on their mental health. The program employs adventure-based learning to empower veterans, strengthen their skills to remain resilient, and help them overcome any emotional wounds incurred during their military service.

Veterans who take part in Project Odyssey start with a mental health workshop lasting five days. During the workshop, participants remove themselves from their everyday routines, taking a step outside of their comfort zones. The experience includes therapy and rehabilitation with professionals who can help veterans strengthen their communication and coping skills.

The skills veterans learn during the initial five-day workshop are reinforced and enhanced over the following 11 weeks of the program. After completing Project Odyssey, veterans are encouraged to stay engaged with WWP to continue receiving ongoing support.

Project Odyssey and the many mental health programs offered by WWP seek to help veterans experiencing a wide range of conditions. According to the organization, one in three veterans experiences post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while others live with traumatic brain injury or other brain-related syndromes. At the same time, one in three veterans also feel they do not have access to the mental health care they need.

WWP, with support from donors, has stepped in to fill this gap: the organization has provided more than 42,000 hours of outpatient care and therapy sessions to help our country’s wounded warriors.

Disclaimer: This website contains general information about medical conditions and treatments. This information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy or validity of any statements or information provided on this website. Do not rely on this information as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or another professional healthcare provider. You should seek immediate medical attention if you think you are suffering from a medical condition. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

Triple Play: Three Essential Lessons for Healthy, Active Kids

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) operate in communities all across the country with the aim to provide youth with the tools they need to succeed in school and in life. As part of that goal, the organization provides a variety of programs for children and young adults, including Triple Play: A Game for Mind, Body, and Soul. The initiative emphasizes health and wellness education for kids and teenagers.

With the objective of teaching lessons that promote healthy living, BGCA partnered with Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic division of Anthem, Inc., in 2005. Together, the organizations designed Triple Play as a way to deliver comprehensive wellness education to young people in three parts. 

Mind: Healthy Habits

The first component of the Triple Play curriculum covers healthy habits. This section covers the psychological elements involved in making healthy choices, such as eating well and being active. The course incorporates positive modeling that shows students how to make better choices. It also introduces nutrition education and exercises that help students understand how to follow healthy behaviors.

Body: Physical Activity

Next, Triple Play encourages physical activity through daily challenges. As part of this component of the program, students not only take part in physical activities, but earn a level of physical literacy as well. This includes strengthening their abilities in basic fitness and movement, building confidence in sporting skills, and motivating them to stay active throughout their lives.

Soul: Healthy Relationships 

Finally, the Triple Play initiative focuses on what it calls “social recreation.” Kids who participate in the program learn how to create and keep healthy relationships with others and with themselves, while also discovering how to make responsible decisions and regulate their emotions. The activities and materials intend to help students develop the social, emotional, and behavioral skills they need to live healthy, productive lives and get along with their peers. 

Disclaimer: This website contains general information about medical conditions and treatments. This information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy or validity of any statements or information provided on this website. Do not rely on this information as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or another professional healthcare provider. You should seek immediate medical attention if you think you are suffering from a medical condition. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

Job Seekers Gain Digital Skills with a Little Goodwill

 Aiming to provide the training and support people need to earn and keep good jobs, Goodwill Industries International partners with companies to reach these goals. In 2017, Google collaborated with Goodwill to launch the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator. 

Part of the Grow with Google initiative, established the same year, the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator aimed to help Google reach its goal of training and providing resources to Americans to give them the digital tools and resources they need to find jobs. The initiative awarded a $10.3 million grant to Goodwill to start a digital training program. Goodwill also received support in the form of Google’s resources, talent, and tools. 

With a goal to reach over one million job seekers and teach them the digital skills they need to get a job, the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator identified five levels of digital skills and set about creating training programs for each. 

The program’s digital skill levels include: 

• Digital skills awareness for individuals needing an introduction to computers and other digital topics; 
• Basic digital skills training, targeted at those who have some knowledge of computers but need help with email, social media, and keyboarding; 
• Productivity software skills, courses that provide instruction on using spreadsheets, word processing software, and similar tools; 
• Entry-level digital skills for those looking to gain basic programing or computer support skills; 
• Mid-level and occupation-specific digital skills, created for people looking to work with technology in specific fields, such as healthcare or marketing. 

Google also pledged to send more than 1,000 volunteers, including seven Google.org Fellows who worked full-time with Goodwill at one of the organization’s nationwide locations.