Douglas County, Nebraska 2023 NACo Achievement Award Winner

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

CATEGORY: Children and Youth

YEAR: 2023

In the spring of 2022, the founders of HERE partnered with Douglas County, Nebraska and ReConnect as a result of receiving ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. This initiative was led by Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson, and helped create the “Flow Through Summer” program for youth, which offers a mindfulness curriculum that supports and boosts the well-being of young people, helps them to develop self-regulatory capacities, positive self-concept, supportive relationships, and healthier lifestyles. The mindfulness program offers a summer program in a cozy environment with mindfulness, creativity, and physical activity sessions most days of the week, and continues throughout the school year with weekly sessions. Mindfulness team members are trauma-informed, and other session leaders included artists and personal trainers. During the summer, approximately 40 youth were in attendance, and about 25 new youth joined sessions during the school year as of this writing. The program objective was for it to be different from other interventions and hard curriculums traditionally used by the court and juvenile justice system and schools. The HERE “soft,” non-traditional mindfulness interventions resulted in exceptional outcomes, including it being called “a first of its kind” program.

Resource: https://www.naco.org/resources/award-programs/flow-through-summer-youth-mindfulness-program