Home / Wellness Initiatives / Radical Resilience / Training Program

Self-paced course now available!

The Radical Resilience Training Program (RRTP) modules are now available to all UC Santa Cruz faculty, staff, and students. Simply click the training site link (https://canvas.ucsc.edu/courses/37186) and you can start this self-paced course. You will have access to all materials regardless of whether you have a Canvas account. If you do have a Canvas account, you can log in using your UC Santa Cruz credentials and add the course to your Canvas dashboard.

If you are not a University of California or UC Santa Cruz affiliate, please refer to this course website for more information on how to access this course: https://nikitas-healing-school.teachable.com/p/radical-resilience-training-program.

Our Approach

In our current political and social climate, many college campuses are mobilizing to remove barriers to success, including addressing racial and social inequities, food and financial insecurity, and adverse mental health. The Radical Resilience Initiative is dedicated to providing opportunities for experiential learning that acknowledge the challenges inherent in creating change. While doing this work, there is a clear need to provide pathways for recharging, renewal, and empowerment toward greater thriving across all entities of campus. 

The RRTP is founded on the six (6) core concepts of the Radical Resilience Initiative. It honors the rich diversity of students, staff, and faculty; celebrates existing practices of resilience; and seeks to shift culture and implement shared efforts for radically boosting the mental health, well-being, and holistic success of all campus communities.

The following overarching goals are built into the training models for each of these groups: 

Goals and Objectives

Goal #1

Understand Dimensions and Components of Resilience

Objectives
  1. Provide context, relevancy, equity-centered frameworks, and purpose for a resilience-centered initiative. 
  2. Define individual, interpersonal and community resilience and understand internal and external factors that inhibit and boost it.
  3. Understand barriers to thriving in the context of the campus community and student experience.

Goal #2

Engage in Individual Resilience 

Objectives
  1. Learn about the importance of taking an active role in one’s own mental health and well-being.
  2. Recognize signs of resilience and signs of distress in oneself and others; identify existing practices of personal and community resilience. 
  3. Develop skills and capabilities for self-care, self-healing, and growth mindset in daily practice. 

Goal #3

Engage in Interpersonal and Community Resilience

Objectives
  1. Develop strategic empathy skills to support the well-being of others and build authentic relationships
  2. Learn to hold a space for dialogue and effective reflection related to stress and resilience.
  3. Boost community resilience by implementing related activities in institutional spaces including classrooms, meetings, and groups.

Curriculum Research and Development

This curriculum was researched and developed by Nikita Gupta, a passionate and dedicated educator, program director, mentor, and resilience expert practicing and applying resilience-based approaches for over 23 years. Nikita Gupta, M.P.H., specializes in designing and implementing Trauma Healing and Resiliency programs and initiatives in educational as well as public and private settings. She is a recognized leader and educator and has worked nationally with diverse communities and institutions such as UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles Unified School District. Nikita's work is rooted in practices of personal empowerment and community healing, and she is dedicated to creating spaces of connection, belonging, and transformation. Nikita is also a long-time Yoga Teacher and Meditation Facilitator who received her Master’s in Public Health from UCLA. For additional support or training on how best to integrate this series into your campus program, please contact Nikita Gupta at RRTP@nikitagupta.com (website: http://nikitagupta.com/).