“I thank you for supporting this very important work, which allows all children to learn lifelong skills and receive social emotional support. I see that it makes a difference in the kids.”

The words of Laura Hull of the Palo Alto Unified School District resonate with us on Giving Tuesday, and we send our heartfelt thanks to YOU for helping us instill hope and lifelong resilience in the youth and educators we serve.

A former teacher and librarian at Palo Verde Elementary School, Laura is a firm believer in the importance of social emotional learning after receiving our services: “Mindfulness, writing in your journal, figuring out your happy places, who makes you feel good, what to do if you have conflict, what to do if you’re really stressed out…these skills are things that kids need.” These tools are just as beneficial for teachers to learn and practice as well, especially self-care, which is what led Laura to reach out to Acknowledge Alliance this year to provide professional development training for District staff.

For Alex Del Prete, a former therapist intern in our Collaborative Counseling Program, her experience of professional growth happened when she was providing counseling for teenage students in Juvenile Hall. Under our guidance, she offered support that youth weren’t receiving anywhere else.

“All of my students expressed similar sentiments of feeling no meaning and purpose in life, of having no hope, of feeling like failures. Their experiences in other therapy programs focused only on short-term behavioral change like, ‘Let’s fix these kids.’ There was no focus on healing or developing a healthy sense of self. But Acknowledge Alliance is different and their therapeutic model is unique because it focuses on the long-term relationships and outcomes.”

Thank you for helping us give youth and educators the opportunity to experience a strengths-based and consistent relationship with a caring adult or peer that allows them to feel safe, seen, valued, and hopeful. Your support is a gift that keeps on giving, and we are immensely grateful.