This is the third blog in a three-blog series regarding North Hartford Ascend’s Inaugural Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework Community of Practice facilitated by Childhood Prosperity Lab.
Jeanika Browne-Springer, Director of LifeLong Learning at HartBeat Ensemble's Youth Play Institute & Moved to Act Program, was one of fifteen participants in the inaugural North Hartford Ascend Strengthening Families Protective Factors Community of Practice.
Can you share more about Hartbeat Ensemble’s Youth Play Institute & Moved to Act Program?
Founded in 2001, HartBeat Ensemble's mission is to create provocative theater that connects our community beyond traditional barriers of race, gender, class and geography. Our Youth Play Institute programs provide youth with the opportunity to explore social justice issues that directly impact their communities and generation globally, allowing them to express their feelings through original productions that not only educate the audience but also inspire action. Moved to Act is one example that allows youth to explore new endings to challenges they face, using tableaux for creative problem-solving and building agency. In both programs, youth are exposed to the many careers in the theater field including interview skills, marketing, lighting and sound, stage management, costume and props, acting, and technology.
What statistic, theory, or discussion point from the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework community of practice resonated the most with you?
In the training, we learned about the stress response system. The stress response system consists of positive, tolerable and toxic stress. It resonated the most with me to learn that there is such a thing as positive stress! I think our programs at Hartbeat Ensemble are a testament to that and how the right kind of challenges for youth help them develop resilience.
How has learning about the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework changed the way you think about and approach your work?
Through my participation in the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework Community of Practice, I realized that while our programs effectively strengthen the Social & Emotional Competence protective factor, there is still room for growth and improvement. To address this, I opted to add a goal-setting component to our work. Youth in the program are encouraged to set goals, guiding artists to reflect on what they want to gain from their experience in the program and how organizations like Hartbeat Ensemble might be able to support them achieve those goals. Whether they listed specific theater skills or personal goals, it added an element of deeper care, connection, and investment.
What has your observed impact been on those you work with as a result of this experience?
Since participating in the Community of Practice, we've seen a ripple effect of positivity and a pay-it-forward mindset spreading throughout our work and our community partnerships. Not only did our new partner at Martin Luther King Middle School take it upon themselves to cultivate a broader culture of mental health and anti-bullying for their Winter Festival, but they also reached out to officers from the Hartford Police Department to join the conversation. Additionally, our in-house Youth Play Institute Interns were inspired to give back to the community by crowdsourcing donations for Journey Home.
Is there a particular protective factor that is showing up in your work the most with the youth participating in Hartbeat Ensemble?
In the Social Connections module, participants learn about the importance of social connections. More specifically, they learn that loneliness and isolation is just as bad for your health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. At Hartbeat Ensemble, social connections are the crux of ensemble building and storytelling. Youth and participants in the program are challenged to look within themselves, investigate the world around them, and express their ideas to their audiences. It takes a lot of trust-building and relationship-building within the group to step on stage with bravery and vulnerability. The participants blow me away every time!