Courtesy Photo | Fort McCoy family members play together after working a craft project March 19, 2022,...... read more read more
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March is National Crafting Month, but Army Community Service (ACS) provides crafting opportunities throughout the year as part of its resiliency programs.
ACS is charged to provide resilience training to family members and Department of the Army (DA) civilians encompassing the five dimensions of well-being: emotional, family, physical, social, and spiritual. The Master Resilience Training (MRT) modules provide attendees an opportunity to focus on skills to enhance their self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character, and connection.
The goal is to make stronger Soldiers, family members, and DA civilians by building mental toughness and resilience skills not only for themselves but to develop individuals’ ability to understand the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of others they live, work, and socialize with.
Skills such as: goal setting, problem solving; hunting the good stuff; identifying character strengths and assertive communication are a few of the teachable MRT skills. In addition to training the individual modules of the MRT in a classroom setting, Fort McCoy ACS staff take the training one step further to involve the attendees.
Staff members have found that by making the training modules more hands-on and adaptable to real life, attendance is higher and offers support to our Families in our rural setting. Staff are also able to share the other programs ACS has to offer, getting the ACS name out into the Fort McCoy Community.
At the ACS Building Bonds Workshop (building 1133), attendees can craft their own pen from a block of wood while learning the importance of Hunting the Good Stuff. Then at the ACS Family Building (building 2161), attendees can use that hand-crafted pen to record their “good stuff” in the personalized journals they made with stickers and rubber stamp art. Workshops have been held in the past to create personalized greeting cards for family and friends using a variety of craft supplies.
How does this teach resilience, you ask? Not only are families working together creating stronger communication skills but also stronger connections with other family members and friends. This, in turn, strengthens their community of support in both optimistic and challenging times.
On March 12, ACS held a Crafting for Resilience Workshop at the ACS Family Building, focused on Hunting the Good Stuff and building optimism by crafting journals and learning how to journal for increased mental health. All ages were able to participate by having age-appropriate journaling options. Additional Crafting for Resilience Workshops will be held April 2 and May 14, focusing on other skills.
During the Crafting for Resilience Workshops, other crafting options are also available, such as: canvas painting, beading, card-making, scrapbooking, wood craft staining/painting, and a lot of other activities. Sewing machines are even available for use.
The ACS Family Building also houses the ACS Connect the Tots Playgroup area. A once-a-week playgroup for parents and children ages 4 and under. Does your division or unit need team-building? ACS can provide that, too, and customize it to your needs. To find out more information about ACS-sponsored events, visit http://mccoy.armymwr.com and click on Calendar. Registration for Crafting for Resilience Workshops, Connect the Tots, or other ACS trainings/workshops can also be accomplished by calling ACS at 608-388-3505.
(Article prepared by Army Community Service.)
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2022 14:46 |
| Story ID: | 417181 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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