Institute Origin Story

The Institute Takes Shape

The Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience was born at a moment when the world was holding its breath.

In March 2020, as the COVID‑19 pandemic brought global systems to a halt and exposed deep vulnerabilities in mental health, healthcare, and community resilience, the Institute launched at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs with a clear purpose: to help people and communities withstand, adapt to, and grow from adversity. From the outset, the Institute was grounded in a belief that resilience is not rare or heroic—it is learnable, buildable, and profoundly human.

Established with the support of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Institute emerged not as a traditional academic center, but as an integrated platform bringing together science, healing, and education in service of empowerment.

Responding When It Mattered Most

Within weeks of launch, the Institute mobilized to meet urgent community needs. In April 2020, it created and released the Greater Resilience Information Toolkit (GRIT)—a free, science‑informed training designed to empower everyday people to support one another through crisis. What began as a rapid local response quickly became a national and global resource, reaching all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries worldwide.

Building a Three‑Pillar Model: Science, Healing, and Education

Science serves as the backbone of the Institute. Today, the Institute connects a global network of scholars and has contributed hundreds of peer‑reviewed publications advancing the science of trauma and resilience.

Healing translates science into practice through innovative clinical services such as the Veteran Health and Trauma Clinic and Milestones Resilience Care, a whole‑person approach to recovery that emphasizes agency, connection, and meaning.

Education and empowerment extend impact outward—strengthening communities, workplaces, and the UCCS campus through training, peer support, and scalable resilience tools. 

The Institute serves as a key role in educating the next generation of trauma psychologists in the UCCS Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. Students receive clinical training at Institute Clinics and are financially supported. 

Looking Ahead

Today, the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience stands as a nationally recognized model for integrating research, healing, and education to address trauma and adversity. Born during a global crisis, it has matured through service, innovation, and partnership.

As the Institute looks to the future, it remains guided by a simple but powerful truth: when people are empowered with the right knowledge, support, and community, they do more than survive adversity—they transform it.