Principal of Columbia Middle School, Mary Beth Allmann, shared how our services have positively changed their whole school over the last 7 years. Before receiving services from Acknowledge Alliance, Columbia Middle School was ranked in the bottom 10% of schools in California. According to Mary Beth, “We didn’t know how to define the problem. We tried different things…there was still a missing piece to that puzzle that was around social emotional learning.” In a survey sent to students, one of the questions asked: How many of you feel like you have caring adults on campus? The result was a disappointing 30%. "It proved that there was some disconnect there that we weren't understanding and that we needed help."

Soon after, Acknowledge Alliance was asked to deliver professional development for educators on campus. Teachers began to receive one-to-one resilience consultations from our staff. Through our social emotional learning curriculum, students and teachers learned and practiced essential resilience skills.

Today, Columbia Middle School is recognized as a California Distinguished School. The school culture is different and has changed for the better. In the school’s most recent student survey, a whopping 94% of students reported that they had caring adults on campus!

Mary Beth’s words of gratitude resonate with us:
“I want to thank Acknowledge Alliance for providing those services. And I want to thank all of you who help make it possible through donations or through providing direct services yourselves. I love where I work, it’s an awesome place to be, and Acknowledge Alliance is a huge part of that.”

Watch the clip below to hear the full transformational story from Mary Beth.