SOUL SHOPPE PROGRAMS
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Mission Statement
We empower communities by activating heart-centered peacemaking skills that lead to courageous action, connection and restoration
About This Cause
Organization History Soul Shoppe was founded as an S-Corp in 2001 by Vicki Abadesco and Joseph Savage. They brought years of experience with SFUSD, Vicki in Gang and Violence Prevention and Joseph as an elementary school teacher. They united their knowledge to develop Soul Shoppe’s unique content delivery and facilitation techniques to address the root causes of bullying: isolation, unexpressed emotions, and unsupportive environments. Since 2014 and our winning of the Ashoka-Packard “Building Vibrant Communities” award, we have seen a market demand increase of 167%. We internally measure our work in “Program Days”. We served 585 program days in the 2014-15 school year, and this recent 2018-19 year we served 977 days to over 110 schools and 60,000 students. Community Need The pandemic greatly increased the amount of traumatizing events that negatively impact mental health, especially for children within communities of color. Instead of consistent academic routine, access to friends, a network of supportive adults, 5-12 year olds faced disconnection from school and systems of support, illness or death among friends and family, and financial hardships in their household. As kids return to school, educators expect an increase in stress, anxiety, and depression, which will lead to unregulated behavior, classroom disruption, poor academic performance, and relational conflict. The numbers are clear: In 2020, there was a 24% increase in children 5-11 seeking mental health care in emergency departments. Historically, these communities’ children are also disproportionately suspended more than their peers. Studies have shown that these suspensions are associated with increased chances of dropping out, mental health problems, and becoming incarcerated later in life, often referred to as the “school to prison” pipeline. In this way, the cycle of stress, depression, and isolation continues. To end this cycle, we must develop community-based preventative programs within the hub of the child’s life: Their elementary school community. According to SEL4Us, “Studies show that SEL provides many benefits to students—from improved social-emotional skills, well-being and behavior to improved academic outcomes—and these results are long-term and global, with proven positive impact up to 18 years later on academics, conduct problems, emotional distress, and drug use. SEL competencies are also critically important for long-term success in today’s economy.” Down the road, the social return on investment for effective SEL programs can be upwards of 11:1, according to a 2015 Columbia University study and aggregate analysis. Another meta-analysis by CASEL in 2011 showed that evidence-based SEL programs increase academic performance by 11%. Program Overview In the wake of Covid-19 and the seismic changes happening in the education sector, Soul Shoppe is finalizing a significant organization and service delivery pivot in the wake of Covid-19. There is so much uncertainty in the education space right now. Even just recently in July 2021, California decided to require that every district/school to offer "independent study" (no longer calling it distance learning). so schools have to have on contract digital or virtual learning options for their students. We anticipate the need for digital courses to grow more and more, and we’ve already renewed two district contracts in the Bay Area for the 2021-22 school year. We have three primary components to this model: Peacemaker Trainer Certification Our trainer-the-trainer model for our Peacemaker program, where we train adults within the school community to teach and build their own student Peacemaker program. In our longstanding Peacemaker Program, students in 3rd-5th grade become peer leaders through a deeper engagement with Soul Shoppe’s Peace Tools and Peace Path. Kids at school know that there are Peacemakers in the classroom and on the playground who they can go to for help, to resolve conflict, or to support them when they have big feelings. On-demand digital courses: We currently have three online courses completed through our Learning Management System (LMS): Tools of the Heart, Respect Differences, and Allies Against Racism Tools of the Heart introduces kids in age-appropriate lessons to our core tools of non-violent communication, somatic awareness, and restorative justice. To preview our Tools of the Heart course, please create a login using this link: https://learn.soulshoppe.org/users/checkout/auth Livestream Video Lessons To support our work and encourage a transfer of skills outside of the lesson space, we bring video lessons live stream to classrooms, and schools have already contracted to bring us back in Fall 2021 for these.