Summary
Adolescents have been experiencing increasing rates of anxiety and despair for several decades. Youth who are Black, immigrant, and people of color (BIPOC) have been especially vulnerable, along with students with disabilities. The U.S. Surgeon General offers a solution to declining rates of adolescent mental health: social connection.
The VitalVoices curriculum, offered by Fig Education Lab, offers a method for schools to foster and develop adolescent connections, wellbeing, and academic engagement. Following a pilot of nine 15-minute modules with two fifth-grade classrooms, students reported a statistically significant improvement in their ability to get along with one another, including those whom they perceive as different from themselves. These early results, based on a fraction of the total curriculum, are promising.
Findings
Before and after the pilot, students completed a survey of validated items. After completing the program, more students agreed that school peers got along with each other, that students complimented each other, and that students were treated the same regardless of income. And while the overall percentage remained low, student reports of a sense of social acceptance increased by 47% following the pilot. (See our report for all findings and for more information about survey analysis.)
Two survey items had statistically significant gains (p < .05). These items were: “I get along well with students who are different from me” and “Students at this school get along with each other.”
In open response survey items, the majority of students said they liked that the program gave them the opportunity to connect with classmates. One student wrote, “[I liked] being able to learn more about my friends,” and another said they liked, “learning to talk to people and understand the situation further to make a stronger bond.”
Conclusion
With its emphasis on introspection and communication, VitalVoices significantly improved student perception of peer relationships. These results suggest that VitalVoices can help students cultivate a deeper appreciation of their peers and increase their perception that school is a place where they can be accepted and get along with each other.