Preservice teachers are headed into the classroom in a post-pandemic, social media obsessed world, in a time where economic disparity has become a blatantly obvious barrier to learning. The pandemic has created anxiety and grief in homelife of many; social media has replaced face to face and human connection with bite-sized morsels of interpersonal relationships; and our current world economy has put stress on all systems of support. As a result, all youth are now youth at risk from the failure of these, and many other, factors in today's life. Building a classroom culture of positivity, respect, safety and belonging is paramount and should be the foundation for course content, not an afterthought.

               It is with those thoughts in mind that we feel that the Risk and Resilience course should be mandatory for teachers before they enter the classroom. The Risk and Resilience training will give teachers the deep understanding and tools to create preventative classrooms for youth at risk by helping teachers reclaim young people using the values based on the circles of courage.