Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

Bussma ProgramStrengthening Resilience to Keep

Adolescents Safe, Learning and ValuedPorticus Conference

7 April 2016

Maryam Zohny, Youth Program Manager

Ali Anan, Program Coordinator

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

ABOUT BUSSMA

• UNICEF-led No Lost Generation Campaign

• Regional program• 4 centers in Lebanon• Two years operating• Canadian Funding,

DFATD

Strengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA’S ADVANCING ADOLESCENTS APPROACH

• Multidisciplinary and integrated program;

• Vulnerable youth, 12-19 years old;• Youth selection, vulnerability

score;• Psychosocial-support (PSS) via

Profound Stress & Attunement (PSA) model;

• Curricula designed using layered approach and delivered through PSA model.

Strengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA’S ADVANCING ADOLESCENTS APPROACHStrengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

UNDERSTANDING PROFOUND STRESS

• High levels of stress for an extended period of time;

• Limbic system (emotional part of brain) overload;

• Limbic system produces stress hormone called cortisol.

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA’S ADVANCING ADOLESCENTS APPROACHStrengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

EFFECTS OF PROFOUND STRESS

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA’S ADVANCING ADOLESCENTS APPROACH

• Profound stress is the lens that enables us to identify indicators and respond to learning styles;

• Help young people to manage their own behavior;

• Referral process internally & externally;

• Activities are tools used to apply PSS through the PSA model.

Strengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

APPLYING PROFOUND STRESS & ATTUNEMENT (PSA) MODEL TO YOUTH PROGRAMMING

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA’S ADVANCING ADOLESCENTS APPROACHStrengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

PROGRAM DESIGN

7. Discovering

together

8. Name & Describe

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA EDUCATIONAL APPROACHStrengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

• Layering allows people with profound stress to interpret information through utilizing senses (visual, kinesthetic, audio);

• incorporates association as a tool to link memory to learning through real life experiences;

• Attunement allows people to become sensitized to their own emotional awareness, as well as others which increases empathy;

• (Re)attachment to self, family, and community;• Experiential, Collaborative, and Active learning;

• Thematic life-skills

LAYERING & ATTUNEMENT

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

Strengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

TRACKS

• 1: Economic resiliency courses for the home & future allow youth to develop skills to support their families in conserving money and can be utilized for themselves and/or family/community members;

• 2: Recreational Courses that involve dance, sports, handcrafts, art, and/or other physical activities;

• 3: Social Cohesion Community Events for community members to feel a sense of belonging and linked to other members in their respective neighborhoods;

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

Strengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

• 4: Advocacy projects allow youth to build social capital by expanding networks; have platform to amplify voices on local issues; feel empowered by becoming agents of change; apply leadership through youth councils;

• 5: Goal-setting allows for youth to effectively navigate their path to adulthood by establishing pragmatic short and long-term goals and plans to achieve them through mentoring from coaches;

• 6: Awareness sessions for youth, caregivers/parents, and community members builds community awareness and understanding of PSS and protection issues.

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

BUSSMA RESULTSStrengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

• 3695 Young people enrolled

• 4798 Persons increased awareness on child protection & PSS through 236 awareness sessions;

• Approximately 30,000 persons impacted from over 203 advocacy projects on non-violence & social cohesion community events;

• Levels of psychosocial well-being, trust, social capital, and social cohesion increased as per SDQ results and other tools;

• A Yale University research project investigating the biological change that occurs through the NLG model proved hypothesis that psychosocial wellbeing improved by reducing cortisol (stress hormone)

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

Strengthening Resilience to Keep Adolescents Safe, Learning and Valued

CONTACTMaryam Zohny

Youth Program Managermzohny@lb.mercycorps.org