Ready, Set, Resilience
Learning from nature to build resilience in ourselves and our communities.
Ready, Set, Resilience (RSR) is an interdisciplinary education program that helps students and educators explore personal, ecological, and community resilience through nature-based storytelling, science, art, puppetry, and reflection.
Co-created with educators and community partners in North Carolina, RSR invites young people to look closely at how plants, animals, ecosystems, and communities respond to changes, and use those stories to think about resilience in their own lives.
Mission Statement
The mission of RSR is to support educators and students in fostering personal, ecological, and community resilience through interdisciplinary educational resources rooted in nature-based storytelling and connection.
How Ready, Set, Resilience Works
RSR connects three dimensions of resilience:
Personal Resilience
Students explore skills such as optimism, self-awareness, connection, mental agility, self-regulation, and strength of character.
Ecological Resilience
Students investigate how organisms and ecosystems respond and adapt to environmental changes.
Community Resilience
Students use storytelling, art, reflection, and community outreach to consider how people can support one another through changes.
Learn more about RSR history here!
Explore Ready, Set, Resilience
Bring Ready, Set, Resilience to Your Classroom
RSR resources are designed to help educators integrate resilience into existing learning through science, storytelling, art, writing, and reflection. Explore the curriculum, try a lesson, or connect with the RSR team to learn more.
Our Partners & Supporters
Ready Set Resilience was made possible with support from the Duke University Marine Lab, NC Sea Grant, the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke Engage, Bass Connections, the Duke Office of Durham and Community Affairs, and the Kenan Fellowship Program.
RSR in the News
Shaw, D. (2026, January 28). Ready, set, resilience. Coastwatch. https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/winter-2026-student-resilience/
Hackett, L. (2025, October 7). Are the kids alright? Mental health problems spike for students post-Helene. BPR. https://www.bpr.org/education/2025-10-07/mental-health-problems-spike-for-students-post-helene
Leibach, J. (2025, September 25). Roots of Resilience. Duke Environment Nicholas Narratives. https://nicholas.duke.edu/narratives/roots-resilience
Larkin, Maro (2025 August 29). When Puppetry and Environmental Resiliency Go Hand-in-Hand. https://trinity.duke.edu/news/when-puppetry-and-environmental-resiliency-go-hand-hand
Kwong, Yasmine (2025, June 25). Resiliency in the Smallest Places at the Marine Lab. Duke. Arts. https://arts.duke.edu/resiliency-in-the-smallest-places-arts-at-the-marine-lab/
Yanez, Y. M. (2025, June 3). Duke arts announces summer 2025 Arts+ teams. Duke Arts. https://arts.duke.edu/duke-arts-announces-summer-2025-arts-teams/
Carteret News Times (2025, May 6) Morehead Middle’s Turpin among 30 state teachers named 2025-26 Kenan Fellow. https://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/article_80009291-ca2f-4af5-809a-331b377b6abe.html
Condie, R. (2025, April 1). Perspective | Fostering ecological, community, and personal resilience through fables. EducationNC. https://www.ednc.org/perspective-fostering-ecological-community-and-personal-resilience-through-fables/
Natural resources professor promotes post-disaster resilience in NC. (2025, March 3). College of Natural Resources News. https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2025/03/natural-resources-professor-promotes-post-disaster-resilience/
Carteret News Times (2024, November 27). County educators share experience of resiliency with Yancey County teachers as they recover from Hurricane Helene. https://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/article_ddba111e-accc-11ef-917b-eb8aa8d3c336.html
Reilly, Caitlin (2024).National Recreation Foundation: https://www.nationalrecreationfoundation.org/blog/ready-set-resilience-offers-critical-support-to-western-nc/
