Services are tailored to the specific needs of each school and can be modified through ongoing feedback from administration and staff. The ALIVE team works in parallel with faculty rather than expecting teachers to deliver the program. These powerful programs have proven to increase school sensitivity to trauma, mediate student stress, and reduce the number of office referrals and out-of-school suspensions.
This elementary school workshop teaches children a child safety “bill of rights” called Miss Kendra’s List. The program has received national attention after being featured in the 2016 documentary Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope. Part of the program includes a book reading session where counselors read from The Legend of Miss Kendra, a powerful story that teaches children about resilience and how to cope with toxic stress.
Once students began to see the ALIVE specialist, teachers saw a positive effect on student engagement and classroom culture, and an ability to better regulate emotions, work more readily in groups and take risks in the classroom.
I have noticed a significant drop in behavior referrals, suspensions, and overall disciplinary problems. The students feel a sense of relief when they get the opportunity to “play” with the therapist and the teacher notices a sense of calmness when students return to the classroom.
I cannot stress enough the value of a program such as this in my school. Our suspensions and discipline referrals decreased dramatically, and our students spent more time in class. ALIVE also provided an outlet for teachers, who saw someone readily available to help them,
