What problem is Acknowledge Alliance solving?
Acknowledge is there to give teachers ideas how they can work with students who are struggling emotionally. They're there to help us build community in the classroom. They’re there to support teachers that are feeling stressed. They're there to support students that are in crisis.
How does the work of Acknowledge affects students?
The community that we work in….there is a high amount of crime. In the neighborhoods that we serve, there are a number of stressors on our kids things they bring to school each day. Through Acknowledge, students have been taught strategies on how they can persevere through those challenges and get down to the work of the day.
What makes Acknowledge unique?
What makes Acknowledge Alliance unique is that they’re really an integral part of our community. They're here with us. They're doing professional development with our staff. They don't just work with kids being pulled out who have problems - they're there working with parents, meeting with families, meeting with other counselors from outside organizations, modeling for us the types of behaviors that are going to show kids that we’re listening.
What would happen if Acknowledge services weren’t on campus?
If Acknowledge wasn't with us, students who were in crisis would not be supported, as they need to be; community would not be built in the classroom the way it needs to be. For teachers in particular, I think stress levels and burnout levels would be much higher than they currently are now. Parents, too, learn how to listen to their children, to take a different perspective and to be more empathetic towards their children and what their children might be going through…if they're going through a divorce, if there's been a death in the family or if someone has lost a job.
Why should someone support Acknowledge Alliance?
I think people should support Acknowledge Alliance because it’s an organization that I've been able to watch help children, help teachers and help parents. I can tell you personally that working closely with our Resilience Consultant…it might sound like an exaggeration…but it has been life changing. It's changed my practice; it’s changed the way I do discipline; it's changed the way I build relationships with students; it's changed the way I work with parents - much less judgmental, much more empathetic. The results are there. I can tell you that discipline problems are down, academic achievement is up and I think without Acknowledge Alliance, we wouldn't be able to say that here at Beechwood School.