The Collaborative is excited to announce that it is piloting a Spring/Summer Resiliency Through
Understanding/RTU Program. Registration opened April 15th and continues through July.
Events will focus on developing healthy habits, engaging in positive relationships, and how to be
a good digital and community citizen. We are grateful to our partners at Vermont State Parks,
Northshire Civic Center, Stratton Mountain Bike Park, and Vermont Macrame for providing
incentives for participation.

RTU is a youth substance misuse prevention and asset-building educational program that
incentivizes the healthy choice of not using drugs and alcohol. This season's RTU program
focuses on building “Healthy Habits for a Resilient Life," grounded in the idea that with the right
mindset, preparation, and protective factors, a healthy and happy lifestyle is attainable by
everyone.

For the Kickoff event, Spring/Summer RTU participants and caring adults will participate in the
Community Cares Bingo Challenge, hosted by our partners at ACT Bennington during the
month of May. Offering a range of activities displayed on bingo squares, from finding and
appreciating smoke- and vape-free zones in the community to engaging in 30 minutes of a
favorite exercise to allowing participants to define their own self-care on the bingo staple “free
space,” this challenge aims to get RTU participants and their caring adults in the right frame of
mind to build and maintain healthy habits to last a lifetime.

The second event, offered at four different in-person sessions throughout the month of June,
focuses on “Getting to Resilience: Building Healthy Habits.” A presentation on the psychology of
habit formation created by Jenny Jantzen, The Collaborative’s intern from Kenyon College, will
supplement the various wellness activities organized by our own program reps. In July, the
program ends with four more offerings of “Staying Resilient: Keeping Healthy Habits,” featuring
another broad array of healthy activities and a conversation on how to maintain the progress
participants have built up over the previous months.

In return for their efforts, participants are able to choose a season pass from Stratton Mountain
Bike Park, a ten-visit punch card from Vermont State Parks, a free class at Vermont Macrame,
or a season pass to disc golf from Riley Rink at Hunter Park. Learn more at
thecollaborative.us/rtu or email rtu@thecollaborative.us.