ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative to teach public school students about resiliency and perseverance with the assistance of athletes from professional sports teams from around the state.
Pro athletes from Florida's NFL, MLB, NHL, NASCAR and professional soccer teams have been enlisted for public service announcements and outreach to schools to provide a message that sometimes life gives you knocks but you have can work to overcome them, DeSantis said at a news conference at the Amway Center, where the Orlando Magic play.
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A goal is to help overcome some of the stigma students associate with admitting to having mental health problems and reframe that narrative into one of resiliency and hope, said DeSantis, who has made mental health issues a priority in her work as the state's first lady.
“We know that no one is immune to adversity and hardship," she said.
The initiative will make available curricula that teachers can use to teach about perseverance and also enlist the athletes to spread the message about the importance of resiliency.