Rockwell Fund Aldine/Spring ISD Drop-Out Initiative

Nereida Gomez goes the extra mile to make the ARK for Parents experience at Northgate Elementary in Spring ISD a success. Her creativity, desire and commitment to bring unconditional love into the lives of parents and their children have sparked parental involvement at Northgate. Nereida created a rubric for use during the group to help remind everyone of the process and guidelines. Parents at Northgate are encouraged and grateful to find a venue in the public school system, where they are valued for "who they are rather than for what they do".  ARK supports the goal at Northgate to provide an educational environment enriched with the principles of unconditional love. As a result, students, parents and teachers establish a lifelong relationship of mutual trust, understanding and growth.

Lead Facilitator, Sherri Poole at Hambrick Middle School in Aldine ISD has made an extraordinary impact in the lives of children and is now carrying her vivacious attitude into the everyday problems and issues that she and her peers encounter. Teachers at Hambrick are setting the bar for other schools across the district and region. They are demonstrating their commitment to student success by exploring new methods and venues of relating to their students through participation in the ARK for Teachers process group. Excitement is so high at Hambrick, that teachers, who have not yet been included in the six year project, are anxious to begin ARK groups with their peers. Students and teachers alike are beginning to experience the beneficial results of focusing on unconditionally loving relationships, as a vital part of the educational process. The drop-out prevention program is well underway to achieve its desired results.