RESEARCH

KIDS WHO FEEL LOVED DO BETTER!

The ARK (Adults Relating to Kids) program works to improve relationships and build healthy environments through the understanding and application of unconditional love and care. ARK programs are researched-based, stemming from a ground-breaking study conducted in partnership with the University of Texas School of Public Health that discovered a new paradigm for building a child’s self-concept. The research showed healthy self-esteem (which is the most important aspect of a child’s self-concept) is primarily generated by a child receiving unconditional love from an adult who is central in the child’s life. ARK programs were designed based on this principle and provide relational training for a variety of groups and family structures. ARK offers specialized programming that can be applied at home, in the classroom, at the workplace and beyond!

The Self-Concept Triad | The ARK Group - Research

High self-esteem increases a child’s capacity for self-worth!

ALDINE ISD MIDDLE SCHOOL DROP-OUT PREVENTION PROJECT

Over a six-year period, ARK worked with the Aldine Independent School District – the ninth largest school district in Texas – to implement ARK for Teachers at its middle schools. The program included 14 schools involving 20,852 students during the 2011-12 through 2016-17 school years and was tested for effectiveness by a Sam Houston State University research team as the “Aldine ISD Middle School Dropout Prevention Project.” The results showed ninth-grade out-of-school suspensions dropped by 49% over a four-year period for students who had been exposed to ARK-trained teachers during their entire middle school experience compared to students who had not. The program also had positive effects on student retention rates, state exam performance, student attendance, and in-classroom behavior …READ MORE

Group of School Kids | The ARK Group - Research