C E L E B RATING DIV E RSIT Y
Verde Valley Embraces Kids at Hope
by Dr. Paul Tighe, Superintendent, Mingus Union High School District #4
Members of the Sedona International
City of Peace recognize that if the world
is to change, it must be changed one
child at a time. When a school or community consciously alters their expectations of children, these children seem to
rise to the occasion. We recently discovered Cottonwood, Arizona made a huge
shift in its perception and labeling of
some of the community’s children from
“youth at risk” to “kids at hope.” We believe it is an excellent example of laying
the groundwork for a culture of peace.
K
ids at Hope was founded
in 1993 in the Verde Valley of Arizona as part of a
national and local effort to reverse
the stigma and stereotype associated with the phrase “youth at risk.”
This term, which was created to
summarize the many challenges our
children face, has unwittingly taken
on a life of its own; it has been used,
abused and misused in a manner
that blames our young people for
their circumstances. As a result,
the “at-risk” stereotype has prematurely judged our youth guilty until
proven innocent.
In a Kids at Hope community,
everyone believes all children are capable of success, no exceptions. The
focus is on what a child can do and
what she or he is capable of doing. It
is a belief system designed to engage
and activate entire communities to
support success for all children.
24 IMAGINE l Autumn 2015
The research behind Kids at
Hope aimed to answer the question:
Why do some children succeed and
others fail? As a result of this interdisciplinary examination, several
profound recurring themes consistently surfaced. The most prominent of those themes include:
l Children who succeed have
people in their lives who believe
they can and will succeed.
l Children who succeed have
meaningful relationships with
caring adults. (Children who fail
are disconnected from those
meaningful relationships and
grow up in our institutions,
programs, services, and activities in a manner far less likely to
shine a light on their individual
specialness.)
l Children who succeed can
articulate their future in four
domains: home and family; education and career; community
and service; and hobbies and
recreation.
l Children who succeed are
offered greater opportunities
to develop their strengths
rather than to correct their
weaknesses.
l Children who succeed are
nurtured by a culture that is focused on success and strengths.
In school districts case studies,
adoption of the Kids at Hope ideology delivered real and measurable
results: attendance increased from
74 percent to 89 percent, mobility
decreased from 47 percent to 15 percent, student satisfaction increased
from 67 percent to 92 percent,
parent satisfaction increased from
75 percent to 95 percent, and AIMS
passing rates went from 15 percent
to 63 percent. There were also
distinct reductions in behavioral
incidents at the school campuses.
The Verde Valley has embraced
Kids at Hope, with its three universal truths:
l We believe that all children
are capable of success, with no
exceptions;
l We connect with all children in
a meaningful, sustainable way;
and
l We time travel by teaching children to visualize their future in
four destinations.
Through the Kids at Hope
cultural framework, many organizations in the Verde Valley and
across Yavapai County have united
to align efforts to help all children
achieve success. A steering committee comprised of leaders from
many organizations meets monthly
to guide these efforts. For more
information, please visit the Kids at
Hope website at www.kidsathope.
org or contact Brandi Bateman at
Mingus Union High School District
(928) 478-7943.