February 23, 20150 Comments

Charter School Awarded Grant for Suicide Prevention

Charter School Awarded Grant for Suicide Prevention

January 22nd 2015, Written by Marie Campbell

Peak to Peak High School partners with The Indigo Project, iTHRIVE, and safeTALK to implement school-wide student empowerment program 

A grant provided by the Colorado Department of Education has been awarded to Peak to Peak Charter High School for the purpose of improving students’ social-emotional wellbeing. The grant money will provide data from The Indigo Education Company, including assessment tools, school-wide trainings, and detailed curriculum changes, to increase the overall effectiveness of School Health Professionals (SHP), specifically in the areas of substance abuse and suicide prevention. The program will be a combined effort of Peak to Peak, The Indigo Education Company, and two local partners specializing in substance abuse and suicide prevention: iTHRIVE and ASIST/safeTALK (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training/Suicide Alertness for Everyone).

Ranked as the #1 public school in Colorado and top 100 in the nation, Peak to Peak High School is aggressive in implementing innovative approaches to social-emotional health.  With this grant, Peak to Peak looks forward to benefitting the entire student body rather than focusing solely on students currently considered at-risk. “Prevention is the key,” says lead guidance counselor Kimberly Gannett. “We believe that integrating positive mental health messages and self awareness into everything we do will increase the overall social-emotional health of every student.” To address the issues of substance abuse and suicide awareness/prevention, administrators are incorporating the Indigo Assessment’s data report into preexisting 9th through 12th grade curriculum. The goal is to better understand the current state of the student body and to encourage students to talk about themselves and the problems they face. Assistant Principal and 9th grade English teacher at Peak to Peak, Clara Quinlan, has already seen positive results. She says, “Many of my freshmen reported feeling empowered and understood for the first time. They often use the language from this tool as they learn to self-advocate and set reasonable and attainable goals. I now consider the Indigo Assessment an indispensable tool in my curriculum.”

From January through May of 2015, the Indigo Education Company will provide Peak to Peak with student data analytics reflecting social-emotional trends school-wide and highlighting at-risk students. Indigo will also track growth patterns of key, non-academic indicators such as resiliency, self-esteem, and sense of belonging, measuring the effectiveness of new curriculum. Principal of Peak to Peak Kyle Matthews says, “We are looking forward to using this information to better train our staff. Knowing how students think about stress, substance abuse, and suicide, we can build systems that stem challenges before they arise.”

Indigo’s data-collection tool (the Indigo Assessment) and accompanying algorithms were created by Target Training International (TTI), a leader in assessment technologies worldwide. TTI has been applying brain and social science to the corporate world for over 30 years, analyzing top leaders of fortune 500 companies in 90 countries and 40 languages. Today, their methods extend to the education system through the efforts of Indigo Education Company. One of the four sciences applied in the Indigo Assessment has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

This is not the first time Peak to Peak has teamed up with Indigo. Looking back on smaller pilot implementations from 2013 and 2014, Matthews states, “Using Indigo has transformed how we see and work with our students.  While we have always focused on supporting students’ passions and areas of strength, Indigo provides deep insights into how students communicate and thrive in a given learning environment.  As a result, our students, families and staff are finally speaking the same language about learning needs and maximizing academic and social-emotional connections in our community.”

About the Indigo Education Company

The Indigo Education Company is committed to promoting college and career preparedness in high schools nationwide, through the integration of 21st century soft skills. Indigo provides personalized research and data analysis, comprehensive trainings, and long-term curriculum development to ensure students are equipped for success in college and beyond. Indigo believes strongly in the potential of every student, seeking to guide them into college and career paths aligning with their natural strengths. The Indigo Foundation, a Colorado 501c and affiliate of the Indigo Education Company, is actively involved with implementations for schools and students in need.  To learn more, visit www.IndigoProject.org.

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February 13, 20150 Comments

Peak to Peak Juniors Learn to Follow Their Passions

Peak to Peak Juniors Learn to Follow Their Passions

February 13th 2015, Written by Marie Campbell

 

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Instead, ask what makes you come alive, and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, CO recently administered the Indigo Assessment to all high school students and faculty. Early this week, Indigo staff led an all-day workshop for 11th grade students, using individual Assessment results to help guide students into college programs well suited to their unique passions and learning styles.

“When have you felt most alive?” Rachel Thor, Indigo team member in charge of curriculum development, asked every 11th grade class. This question forms the core of Indigo’s mission and serves as a guiding light for students heading toward adulthood. Thor asked students to consider a moment in their lives when they felt completely alive and full of energy. The Indigo Assessment, she explained, is a way to “unpack the reasons behind what made that moment so special to you” and apply that knowledge to life.

At Peak to Peak, 11th grade is the age when students begin the college application process. For many, this is a daunting step. Thor asked one class of nine students, “How many of you think this whole college application thing is a breeze, and you’re not stressed about it at all? Raise your hands.” No one responded; the room was still. Thor smiled. “And how many of you are nervous?” Tentative hands went up.

Thor explained that, while many students fear the application process, college offers a remarkable opportunity to personalize education. “You get to choose how, what, and where you want to learn. All you need to know is: what matters most to you, and how do you learn best?” That’s where the Indigo Assessment comes in. Thor walked students step by step through their Assessment results, explaining their unique Behavioral Styles, Motivators, and Personal Skills.

One student, Bradley, shows high scores in the Individualistic and Utilitarian motivators, which means that he seeks to have control over his destiny and desires a return on investments. Thor asked him to share a moment of aliveness, and he started to laugh. “Starting a business with my friends and investing in the stock market,” Bradley answered. A female classmate chimed in with her assessment of Bradley: “It’s like, exactly right!”

Jahla Seppanen, Indigo Communications Manager, encouraged Bradley to “ask colleges, when you go to interviews, how many of their graduates get jobs.” For a passionate Utilitarian, “You want to make sure that the degree you get is going to be worth the money.”

Another female classmate has a high Influencing score for her Behavioral Style. High “I”s tend to be outgoing and people-oriented. This Peak to Peak Junior confirmed, “I’m always the one taking charge and talking.” Indigo members encouraged her to seek a community-oriented university where professors promote group discussion.

Throughout each workshop, Thor stressed the fact that, with the Assessment, there are no right or wrong answers. “This is the blueprint of who you are, and the world needs all of these people in different places.” Peak to Peak will continue to integrate Indigo with existing curricula, contributing to school-wide student empowerment and guiding students toward a life of fulfillment.

The Indigo Education Company is currently working with six high schools to help integrate customized non-academic data with existing academic curricula. To learn more, click here.

 

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November 29, 20140 Comments

Parent Workshop at Peak to Peak High School

Personalizing School Culture Causes Radical Transformation

March 14th 2015, Written by Sheri Smith

Indigo is hosting a student/parent workshop at Peak to Peak High School this Tuesday night, December 2nd.  This workshop, will feature the following:

  • In-depth analysis of the Indigo Report and how you can use it for college/career path decisions.
  • Parent/Student Communication Tips and Practice
  • Personalized analysis of your report
  • Walk away with a specific action plan and goals of how to leverage the information in the Indigo for success
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