2019 Workshop, St. Thomas, Usvi
The USVI Storm Strong Program
The first USVI Storm Strong Workshop began on May 8, 2019. The dynamic group of 26 participants included middle- and high-school youth and their families (17 families in all!) They attended a series of dynamic workshops created to increase their personal abilities to be prepared for a major storm.
Program participants learned about
Hurricane science,
Personal risks and strategies for reducing them,
How to enhance resilience within their own communities, and;
Where their community’s assets are located.
Plus, strategies for becoming resilience leaders.
The 2019 Workshop, St. Thomas, USVI
week 1
In this session, participants were given resources and tools for self-care through the lens of natural disasters. Guest speaker Dr. Marilyn Brathwaite Hall lead a discussion on essential self care skills, asking the question, “How can we best manage stress before, during and after a storm?”
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a little-discussed outcome of major storms; professional resources for managing PTSD and the importance of finding empathetic listeners as a way to manage stress was shared. Equally important to stress reduction is meditation and breathing techniques. Dr. Brathwaite Hall lead the group through a short guided meditation to demonstrate the effectiveness of meditation and breathwork on calming the body.
