Resilience-based curriculum for Canadian Military Colleges: An environmental scan and literature review

Abstract

LAY SUMMARY There is a growing need to recognize resilience as an acquired skill for graduates in higher education, such as universities and colleges, particularly for those entering demanding occupations like the military. To help the administrators of Canada’s Military Colleges (CMCs) make decisions about the development and implementation of resilience programs, the authors carried out a review of current resilience education programs within Ontario universities and the U.S. Federal Service Agencies (U.S. FSAs). Findings showed that only seven Ontario Universities and two U.S. FSAs offered resilience education, with none of these programs having any published scientific reports of their effectiveness (how well they work to improve resilience). This article offers recommendations for CMC administrators to use to build resilience education for Canadian officer and naval cadets.