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Event Recap: 2026 Resiliency Ambassador Certification

Event Recap: 2026 Resiliency Ambassador Certification

by | July 7, 2026 | Pathways, Resources for Resilience

On June 12-13, 2026, a cohort of ten certified Resiliency Champions came together for Resources For Resilience inaugural Resiliency Ambassadors training— an immersive, hands‑on certification program designed to deepen skills, strengthen community, and expand the reach of trauma‑informed resilience education.

Hosted at Focal Point Coworking in Asheville, the event brought together dedicated helpers from several Helene‑impacted communities. These professionals have already completed our signature Reconnect for Resilience and Resiliency Champions programs, and were hand-selected to be Resiliency Ambassadors through a thoughtful, competitive application process.

This Ambassador cohort represents the final step in Resources For Resilience’s Resiliency Partners Pathway, which strives to strengthen invididuals capacity to navigate trauma, manage stress, and prevent burnout through trusted community leaders.

Commitment to Community

During this powerful two-day event, we prioritized collaboration, fun, and inclusivity- accomodating multiple learning preferences, and celebrating the unique strengths each Ambassador brings.

Each participant was able to share why expanding resilience in their community matters, including how they’ve been using RFR’s tools at work and in life, and who they hope to serve next.

At the end of the training, each Ambassador understood how to:

  • DELIVER RFR’s signature 1‑hour offering, Reconnect for Better Days
  • TEACH trauma‑informed content effectively using clear key messages and foundational neuroscience
  • INCORPORATE valuable new resources and training aids, such as Rapid Reset ‘trading cards’, quarterly gatherings, and monthly learning communities.
  • COMMUNICATE customized stories and examples for the groups they serve
  • DEVELOP teaching aids and practice presenting to a live audience
  • CONNECT deeply with the RFR mission and the statewide network of resilience educators
  • RECEIVE ongoing support and feedback from RFR staff and fellow Ambassadors

Certified Ambassadors are commited to delivering four(4) Reconnect For Better Days sessions per year to the audiences they serve in our region. This includes survivors of domestic violence, people returning to community post‑incarceration, college students, youth and families, hospital staff, peer support specialists, and more.

This important “train-the-trainer” event didn’t just build skills — it expanded our region’s capacity to regulate, heal, and support one another. These leaders will carry RFR’s tools and teachings into their own networks, thus multiplying resilience across the state.

Congratulations Ambassadors! 

On behalf of all of us here at Resources For Resilience, CONGRATS  to this new cohort of certified resiliency educators! Thank you for representing the teachings and values of RFR so well.

We are so proud of you, and look forward to seeing how far this work will reach in the years to come. Your passion, authenticity, and lived experience will help bring resiliency education to places where it’s needed most. 

 Together we’re strengthening the foundations of communities across Western North Carolina, and beyond.

“This was wonderful! I had a really fun time and learned a lot. The two days were very well delivered and curated. The team should be very proud!”

“I’ve been hoping for this training since I met yall! So happy that it happened and that I was accepted!”

“I am truly blessed to be able to work with you all. Thank you for teaching with your whole heart. I’m honored to be in the ranks with you all.”

2026 Ambassadors

This cohort of Ambassadors was sponsored through the GROW NC Project, a region-wide partnership with Vaya Health and NCDHHS.

STAY CONNECTED with us online to learn when the next Ambassador training will be!

Event Recap: First Annual Professional Development Institute for Resiliency Educators

Event Recap: First Annual Professional Development Institute for Resiliency Educators

by | December 16, 2025 | Pathways, Resources for Resilience

Earlier this month we hosted a professional development conference for our certified Resiliency Partners, made possible with funding from the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services. 

For two nights and three days, we gathered at the beautiful Montreat Conference Center near Black Mountain, NC for a one-of-a-kind event designed to support our network of educators and facilitators serving Helene-impacted communities across Western North Carolina. 

 

Why It Matters 

The PDI was created in response to requests from our Resiliency Partners for both core training and specialized workshops around how to best serve participants living or working in the 25 Helene-impacted counties of Western North Carolina. 

The goal of this event was to support our trainers with practical tools and strategies for meeting this unique population where they are, especially the helpers and heroes who have dedicated so much to Helene response and recovery.   

This was a rare opportunity for our team and certified Resiliency Partners to connect and practice our values and tools together in real-life, in real-time: 

  • LEARN: Gaining new knowledge and insights. 
  • PRACTICE: Applying concepts with hands-on experiences. 
  • THRIVE: Recharging in a supportive setting. 

 

Event Highlights 

  • Connection & Community: Attendees enjoyed shared meals, evening campfires, and creative activities like pottery hand-building, fostering bonds between our certified trainers who live and work across multiple counties and organizations. 
  • Learning & Practice: Expert-led workshops provided both foundational training and specialized sessions tailored to the evolving needs of first-responder and other frontline professionals in WNC. 
  • Resiliency Stewardship: Participants practiced tools for calmness, connection, and storytelling, building confidence to carry RFR’s mission into various workplaces and communities. 
  • Rest & Renewal: The tranquil mountain setting offered space for reflection, selfcare, and joy — essential ingredients for sustaining resilience. 
  • Special Guests:  

What Our Attendees Said 

In the testimonials we collected, words like supportive, inspirational, energizing, and restorative captured the spirit of the gathering. 

  • “My heart is still happy.” -Kia G. 
  •  “You all are complete rock stars! Thank you for all that you are doing for the people of NC” -Candice S. 
  • “Thank you for making the experience full with connection, joy and life-giving breaths and laughs” – Yvette R.
  • “This event was so well done- the balance of learning connection and reflection. Thank you!” -Resiliency Partner
  •  ”SOUL SOOTHING, life giving, fun fun fun, growth learning together, THANK YOU!” -Resilency Partner
  • “I love you all madly.” – Resiliency Partner
  • “Huge gratitude to this team and the work of everyone, both at this event and in our communities/lives.” – Resiliency Partner
  • “My heart is overflowing with gratitude for this time and space with humans who share a commitment to this work.” – Resiliency Partner
  • “This was awesome – inspiring, lots of laughter, tears, hugs, settling of my nervous system. I feel better prepared to support the community.” – Resiliency Partner

 

In Gratitude 

THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for this inaugural, first-of-it’s kind event. Thank you for taking time to travel, to put your daily responsibilities on hold for a few days and connect with us on this journey.

We are all overflowing with gratitude from our shared experiences and the memories we made in community. This event has been a dream of the RFR leadership team for a long time and it felt surreal to finally make it all happen!

We are deeply grateful to all who attended, contributed, and helped make this event possible.

Our team is fortunate to participate in this meaningful work, and especially thankful to work closely with so many like-hearted and talented professionals. Together, we are building safer, healthier, and more resilient communities across Western North Carolina, and beyond.

With every new participant we reach, we are strengthening the capacity of our region to heal, grow, and thrive for generations to come. 

This is only the tip of the iceberg… Stay tuned for what’s to come! 

 

Want more? Check out this heart-warming IG Reel!