New social emotional learning program implemented at Philly’s Independence Mission Schools

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Vulnerable students in some of Philly’s Independence Mission Schools will soon find relief thanks to a partnership with the nonprofit organization Gabrielle’s Wings, as mental health and social learning support will become available.

Michelle Hord, founder of Gabrielle’s Wings, created the Peace Corners program, named in honor of her daughter who died tragically at the hands of her husband seven years ago. That event led Hord to create spaces for children to get emotional help at school. The program also trains school staff and teachers on how to handle the concerns and stresses of students who face trauma or socioeconomic issues at home.

“Helping to understand and manage emotions, those skills help reduce instances of behavioral issues,” Hord said. “A kid may be hungry or there was an argument at home, they come in, they’re disruptive in the classroom, maybe they get sent to the principal’s office and get sent home.”

The IMS network has 14 Catholic schools across the city of Philadelphia and serves 3,800 students in pre-K to eighth grade. According to the school system, 75% of students come from households where the total income is less than $45,000. Additionally, schools are located in neighborhoods with the highest poverty levels in Philadelphia, and some are among the poorest in the nation.

Hord said the program offers staff an alternative solution without using traditional methods of punishment. “Instead, this child can go to one of these peace corners, perhaps talk it out with the counselor there. Unwind, have some down time, feel the love and go back into the classroom, ready to learn,” Hord said.

St. Malachy Catholic School in North Philly was the first to open its doors to the concept, and this year, St. Martin de Porres Catholic School implemented the program for its students.

Jessica Lopez, St. Martin de Porres principal, said many of her students continue to struggle in the classroom post-pandemic.

“We began to see an increase in student dysregulation, especially in the wake of the pandemic and students being removed from social situations for long periods of time,” Lopez said, adding that it led to more behavior issues in the classroom. “Conflicts among students, students demonstrating inappropriate or attention seeking behavior, students navigating outside trauma and not knowing how to cope with their emotions, a lack of social awareness and social skills, or experiencing intense emotions” are some of the disruptive behaviors students exhibit at school, according to Lopez.

The Peace Corners program offers teachers, staff and students conflict resolution alternatives before issues arise and a safe outlet when instances occur.

“A big goal of the Peace Room is to support students before their behavior escalates,” Lopez said. “The long-term goals of the Peace Room include improving achievement, improving social and emotional skills, increasing instructional time due to fewer behavior incidents, and decreasing the number of behavior referrals from teachers.”

Designed to be a calming space, a large mural on one wall of St. Martin de Porres Catholic School welcomes students, and activity stations have been set up to calm them.

Students who enter the room will first meet with a school counselor. Then they have breaks to refocus, which include positive reinforcement discussions and stimulating activities set up to energize them before they leave.

“It’s beautiful. It’s fun, it’s colorful and they’re able to have a conversation with the teacher there,” Hord said. “Sometimes they’re able to just sit and play for a little bit and calm themselves down. These peace corners ensure that instead of being sent home or instead of being absent, that children are able to go back into the classroom, be focused and able to really augment their education.”

So far, IMS schools say they have found lower absenteeism, fewer exits from schools and reduced behavioral issues since the implementation of the Peace Corners program.

Hord, whose foundation is based out of New York, chose to bring her program to Philadelphia because she wanted to help children who looked like her daughter, Gabrielle, but whose families may not enjoy the same financial stability that she was afforded.

“We are focused on children of color, and we are focused on children in historically underserved communities. So, Philadelphia, for a lot of reasons, demographically felt like a great place for us to work,” Hord said.

Gabrielle’s Wings hopes to bring professional development around trauma-informed practices to 300 school staff this year at the schools they support. The cost is $15,000 to create each space, and Hord has donated $33,000 so far to IMS.

Hord said her daughter Gabrielle would be proud of the work that she is doing. “Gabrielle was effervescent and bubbly and wonderful and curious and smart and kind,” Hord said. “I wanted to ensure that my daughter’s legacy would not be what happened to her, but would be about her life.”

The organization is currently working with Our Mother of Sorrows/ St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic School in West Philadelphia to incorporate the program into the school.