An Anxiety and Coping Mechanism Educational Program for Children and Adolescents

The following capstone project encompassed creating and implementing an educational program focusing on anxiety and coping mechanisms for adolescents 12-15 years of age at the YMCA in Largo, Florida. The academic program focuses on six different types of anxiety, which are generalized anxiety, social anxiety, test anxiety, feelings of panic, feelings of stress, and health anxiety, all in a PowerPoint format. Each of these topics also included a coping mechanism that the teens completed after learning about each different type of anxiety. These coping mechanisms included journaling, creating a stress ball, participating in a yoga class, completing a scavenger hunt outdoors, a self-care BINGO activity, and creating a morning routine. After each week, the campers would fill out a survey to determine if they enjoyed the activity and if they learned anything from that week's presentation. The overall goal of this capstone project was to develop a program that integrates coping skills and includes education on general anxiety symptoms for anxiety management, tailored for 12-15-year-olds as they make the transition into high school.