PEPPERDINE LAUNCHES THE RISE
INSTITUTE
Pepperdine launched the RISE Institute in June in response to an increasing need for resilience-skill training in young people around the globe. The new RISE (Resilience-Informed Skills Education) Institute is led by vice chancellor and executive director Connie Horton (鈥�82), who, in her prior role as vice president for student affairs, was a founder of the program in 2019. As the institute鈥檚 leader, Horton oversees the expansion of the RISE offerings to further resilience development in university and K鈥�12 educational institutions, churches, corporations, and community organizations.
The RISE program, which seeks to build resilience among people through the development of their physical, social, cognitive, spiritual, service, and life skills from a Christian perspective, has proven successful at preparing students to meet the challenges of college life and beyond. It has also proven adaptable and effective in a variety of environments, affirming the value of the institute鈥檚 work.
In March Horton and her team delivered a four-week, youth-oriented version of RISE鈥檚 resilience-development course to elementary and middle-school students at the nearby Calvary Christian School. The school had relocated due to significant damage from the then-recent fires in Los Angeles and some of the children had lost their homes in the disasters. Small groups of students, paired with RISE staff and RISE-trained student leaders, were first taught the key concepts of the program followed by activities and demonstrations of the skills鈥� application.
鈥淩ISE has provided our students with practical tools to process adversity, foster connection, and strengthen their inner capacity to navigate challenges with confidence,鈥� said Calvary Christian鈥檚 head of school, Vincent E. Downey. 鈥淥ur students are not only recovering鈥� they are being empowered with lifelong wellness habits that will serve them well into the future.鈥�
RISE principles also resonate with students globally. Horton and RISE director Stacey Lee Gobir (鈥�15, MDR 鈥�17) responded to a request from educators in India to share the RISE program in five schools this past summer. Notably, the Indian students reported many of the same mental health concerns seen in students in the US鈥攑articularly anxiety and stress鈥攃hallenges that are exacerbated by a rigid testing system that wholly determines their academic trajectory. The team was encouraged to see the students internalize concepts and apply the skills, and even receive a follow-on request from a school for a formal 鈥渢raining the trainer鈥� course to assist faculty and staff at other institutions in providing follow-up resilience programs.
These outreach experiences are a testament to the strength of the RISE program itself, and the institute鈥檚 efforts to share the skills reflect on Pepperdine鈥檚 commitment to elevate its impact locally and globally.
