Ready to Share Your Idea?

There’s more than one way to join the Resiliency Crew!

You can complete the online application, or, if you’d rather tell us about your idea, submit a short video instead.

You can also download the application (below) and email your completed application or video to info@resiliencyinstitute.org, or mail your application to The Resiliency Institute, c/o Jones Center for Nonprofits, 1200 W. Walnut St., Suite 2309, Rogers, AR 72756. However you choose to apply, we want to hear your idea, in your own way and in your own words.

Good Luck!

A Note for Parents, Guardians, Teachers, and Other Grown-Ups

Resiliency Crew is a pilot program of The Resiliency Institute designed to give fourth and fifth-grade students an opportunity to play an active role in disaster and emergency preparedness in their own communities. The idea behind the program is simple: Children do not have to wait until they grow up to make a difference.

We are asking students to look at their school, neighborhood, or community, consider the disasters and emergencies that could occur there, and come up with an idea for something they could do before an emergency to help others be better prepared. Selected students will become members of the inaugural Resiliency Crew and may receive up to $500 to help put their preparedness idea into action.

What Are We Looking For?

This is not an essay contest, and we are not expecting fourth and fifth-graders to be emergency management experts. We are looking for a child's idea. We want to see creativity, preparedness, community benefit, thoughtfulness, and an idea that can realistically be put into action. Projects can be simple. A student does not need to solve a community-wide problem. An idea that meaningfully helps a classroom, a group of neighbors, several families, older adults, people with disabilities, animals, or another part of the community can have real value. What matters is that the project helps someone prepare for an emergency or disaster.

Please Help, But Don't Take Over: Adults are absolutely encouraged to help students understand the questions, research costs, create a budget, determine whether an idea is safe and realistic, or figure out what resources might be needed.

But we want to hear from the child: The application does not need to sound polished. Spelling and grammar do not need to be perfect. The budget does not need to look like it was prepared by an accountant. We would much rather receive a wonderfully creative idea explained in the words of a fourth- or fifth-grader than an application written by an adult. Ask questions. Help them research. Help them look up prices. Talk with them about emergencies that could happen in their community. Help them determine whether their idea is possible.

If Your Child Is Selected

• Projects must be safe, legal, age-appropriate, and completed with appropriate adult involvement and supervision.

• If a student is selected for the Resiliency Crew, we will work with the student and their parent or guardian to finalize the project idea, budget, and implementation plan before project funds are spent.

• Funding will be used for approved project expenses rather than provided as unrestricted cash directly to the student.

• Students will commit to providing the Resiliency Institute with a brief monthly update on their project, with help from a parent or guardian as needed, so we can follow their progress and see the impact their project is making.