As research shows that hope is crucial for healthy development, a pioneering non-profit incorporates it into effective science-backed SEL curricula.
The 1950s. A John Hopkins psychology professor throws some rats into a bucket filled with water.
Yes, it was cruel - but the results were fascinating. When left alone, most rats would drown in minutes. When taken out of the bucket and put back, they’d swim for days waiting to be rescued.
In what became a seminal experiment, Dr. Curt Richter demonstrated the huge power of hope in even the most extreme circumstances.
New research shows that, when implemented in modern classrooms, hope-based curricula lead to incredible improvements on both academic and personal levels. An ESL program focused on hope leads to 68% reduction in suspensions and expulsions, 81% lower dropout rate, and 44% reduction in absenteeism, with better overall academic performance.
And all this is now available for K-12 students.
Hope Rising, a non-profit specializing in the development of evidence-based Social-Emotional Learning curricula, offers a full range of resources for educators looking to incorporate an effective approach for reduced student stress and improved performance.
Driven by the company’s commitment to creating nurturing school environments by meeting the students’ emotional and cognitive needs, the new Hope Rising curricula are designed to facilitate conversations on essential personal development topics.
The lessons are based on the “My Best Me” approach, which focuses on helping young learners discover their unique identity and find their purpose. A research-based program, “My Best Me” combines inter-personal and intra-personal development into a flexible series of lessons that foster healthy emotional and social skills.
By focusing on bringing Hope into the classroom, the curricula provide a solid foundation for growth in five essential aspects: Identity, Health, Community, Environment, and Economics. Each of the five concepts includes a series of SEL competencies in alignment with CASEL outcomes for SEL curriculum.
The program can be adapted as a series of one-hour weekly lessons, or segmented into multiple shorter lessons.
In addition to massive improvements in terms of reduced absenteeism lower dropout rates, its focus on both personal and social skills also translates into higher grades and better social integration.
“My Best Me fosters a personalized experience for students, allowing them to make better connections to the material and enjoy what they’re learning,” explained a company spokesperson. “It also supports effective school communication and positive partnerships with parents and guardians through available lesson summaries,” they added.
With the latest announcement, Hope Rising continues to expand its range of K-12 resources to promote student-centric learning that fosters positive behavior and optimal psycho-social skills, and empowers children to become engaged members of their families and local communities.
For a sample lesson, see https://info.hoperisingsel.com/social-emotional-learning-sample
Bring Hope into your classrooms and let your students truly grow with Hope Rising - probably the best SEL curriculum developer out there!
