SPRING 2022
THE PRINCETON-BLAIRSTOWN CENTER: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, NOW MORE THAN EVER Their realities can often include negative peer pressure, damaging social media, school shootings, poverty, substandard housing, inequality in schooling, prevalence of drugs and alcohol, food insecurity, and crime - experiences that many of us never have to face. Added to these challenges are the isolation and disruption resulting from a two-year global pandemic. Across the US, more than 200,000 young people have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID, and the country has experienced dramatic increases in emergency department visits for mental health treatment. How can young people learn crucial academic material if they are depressed, angry, sad, or lashing out? All too often, they cannot. This makes the idea of emotion-based, trauma-informed SEL lessons practiced at the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) so much more important than ever before. A Summer Bridge participant shows off a poster declaring an important message: “Be Who You Are For Your Prideee!”
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ver the past year, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has come under fire, with some parents and community leaders stating that “emotion-related” lessons should be taught at home, and schools should focus on core subjects only. Yet today, more than ever, acquiring skills like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and the capacity for responsible decisionmaking is critically important for the young people from historically marginalized communities that you help us serve. These are not “nice-to-have skills” but are essential to help propel a young person on a path to self-reliance and success.
PBC is grateful to be part of the solution to the growing mental health crisis that young people face. Not only does our pristine 268-acre campus allow young people to de-stress, but our intentional focus is rooted and centered in SEL to ensure that young people are better able to identify, understand, and manage their emotions; build deeper connections with their schoolmates; and practice making responsible decisions. Learning rooted in SEL helps young people build the self-confidence to make positive changes in their lives that could have life-long implications. Our carefully trained facilitators utilize universal SEL debrief questions that make every problem-solving initiative, adventure course, and ropes course activity a true learning process that helps young people unpack their social-
emotional skills. Additionally, our outcomes measurement tools document the efficacy of our programs through an evidence-based assessment. In addition to these crucial social-emotional and mental health benefits that PBC provides, a Stanford University study found that students experienced a 90% increase in skills of all kinds (SEL and academic) after outdoor education opportunities. For many students, a trip to Blairstown is often their first outdoor experience in a rural setting and ignites a passion for learning that can last a lifetime. For some, it’s their first time understanding that learning is fun. In addition, outdoor education at PBC serves as an “equalizer” for students who are struggling to learn in more traditional environments but who excel in hands-on learning. As we open our cabin doors for the first time in more than two years, we know we will help young people struggling to connect and learn. Our programs are provided free or at a reduced cost for young people from historically marginalized communities, and we expect to serve thousands of young people and chaperones in 2022. You can make that happen! If you can, please consider a more generous gift to help us support students’ mental health needs through our awardwinning, trauma-informed SEL programs. Together we can provide much needed support to students during some of the most challenging times they have ever experienced. With gratitude, Claudia Franco Kelly Board Chair
Pam Gregory President & CEO