A Finer Safety Net
Situated in the heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) experienced a troubling rate of increase in teen suicides – a rate that is four to five times higher than the national average. In 2016 the District’s Director of Student Services introduced Kognito’s At-Risk simulations systemwide as a strategic frontline tool to support suicide prevention efforts.
The key reasons for choosing Kognito were based on: (1) Kognito’s ability to create common awareness and language across the entire K12 district, and (2) the high satisfaction levels reported during a pilot program with 100 teachers.
According to the Director, “teachers talked about it as a powerful learning tool.” She said she received overwhelmingly positive comments from teachers such as “it blew my mind how it helped me to be a better teacher,” and “I really wanted to spend more time with that tool.” The positive response helped take the risk out of introducing a novel PD experience and made it easier to gain acceptance from principals.
To date, over 300,000 educators in 5,000 schools have used Kognito simulations to build skills to lead conversations that change lives. Learn more about At-Risk for PK-12 Educators