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The Research Behind Hope

Hope isn’t just a good feeling it also has a positive impact on your health and well being

What is Hope?
Hope is an optimistic state of mind and the belief or expectation of positive outcomes. 
Research suggests that people with high hope:

  • Exhibit optimism 
  • Have a perception of control over their own life
  • Have problem solving ability 
  • A drive to do and be better
  • High self esteem 

HOPE BUFFERS ADVERSITY:

Research has shown that hope is a psychological strength. It is linked to resilience and overall psychological well-being. (the research)

Adversely a low level of hope is highly linked to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Read more about what ACEs are and their effects on a child’s health and well-being (LINK TO BLOG)

Benefits of HOPE: (link to the research)

“My Best Me” Curriculum and HOPE

“My Best Me” curriculum promotes social-emotional skills and teaches hope. YES! Hope can be learned. Not only does our curriculum teach hope and social-emotional skills we also give you access to our Hope survey which helps you measure not only the success of the curriculum but it also helps establish a baseline and see where students are struggling. 

Child sitting at the bottom of a slide.
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The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences

“My Best Me” curriculum’s primary goal is to help reduce the negative impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences and promote a positive and healthy connection between families and the community. 

What is an Adverse Childhood Experience?

Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACE are potentially traumatic events that occur in a child’s life.(0-17 years of age) This may be in the form of violence, neglect, experiencing the death of a loved one, or abuse. ACE can also be categorized as experiences of elements within their life that may jeopardize their sense of safety, binding, or stability. Examples can range from parental separation to substance abuse. 

What impact can Adverse Childhood Experiences have on a child?

ACE’s are linked to mental illness, chronic health issues, and substance abuse in adults and teenagers. In addition ACE’s have shown to have an impact on a child’s academic journey and in latter years job opportunities and earning potentials.

How to prevent the impacts of ACEs?

It is important to nurture relationships and environments for all children and families to help prevent ACEs and help children reach their highest potential. According to the CDC, teaching skills that have been identified as Social Emotional Learning is a strategy to prevent the negative effects of ACEs.

Did you know that 

In the United States, 64% of adults have an ACE score of 1. This means they have experienced at least one ACE in their lifetime. This subsequently increases the chances that that individual will experience a second ACE. 

How the “My Best Me” curriculum can help

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Emotional Intelligence is a Solid Investment

Many educators and parents will agree that Emotional Intelligence is important and should be implemented in schools. One of the more common barriers to entry is cost. The cost associated with a formal Emotional Intelligence program such as “My Best Me” can be challenging. So let’s break down the cost vs. benefit.

Cost Breakdown

Is Emotional Intelligence a wise financial investment?

Yes! Social Emotional Learning is a solid investment. A study from Columbia University found that an Emotional Intelligence program can have an average of 1:11 return on investment. Emotional Intelligence is not only an important investment for your students BUT also a good financial investment. 

Leveraging federal funds for Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence may be a good investment but finding the funds to allocate to this investment can be tricky. The main source of funds for Emotional Intelligence is the Title IV-A block grant. This grant authorizes activity in three broad areas:

  • Providing students with a well rounded education (arts, STEM, computer sciences).
  • Support the safety and health of students (Emotional Intelligence, drug and violence prevention, physical education).
  • Supporting effective use of technology (devices to give access to technology and digital materials).

Benefit Analysis

Students benefit a great deal from EI

We know that Emotional Intelligence improves self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. All of these skills help students throughout their academic journey and promote long term positive outcomes. This ultimately results in greater graduation rates. 

When Hope meets Emotional Intelligence – Hope Rising Curriculum