In the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District (COCSD), 80% of students receive free and reduced lunch, and many face challenges at home and school. To help students develop positive coping strategies and become resilient, the district launched a mindfulness pilot program.
A Mobilize AZ grant enabled the district to expand its program—the Focus Zone—to mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on students’ lives and learning. COCSD established Focus Zones on all four campuses, staffed by two counselors, two highly qualified teachers, and a paraprofessional.
In these safe spaces, students receive quality counseling to help shift negative-impulse behaviors into positive-choice behaviors. With 2,653 Focus Zone visits throughout the district in the 2018-19 school year, COCSD was better able to identify and respond to food insecurity, homelessness, and substance use. As kids learned how to stay regulated and focused, the district saw a 25% decrease in chronic absences.
COCSD’s success in offering the social and emotional supports to keep kids in school has led to additional funding, a growing number of Focus Zone sites and staff, and a culture of responsive, restorative practices that help students learn to thrive—in life and at school.
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