Is a healthy child a direct reflection of a healthy community? Yes! When we improve the health of youth and families, our community improves too. By creating community connections in our schools, we can create positive and life-altering outcomes for children and families
Impact
Consistent Effort,
Serious Impact.
Last year’s efforts contributed to lasting impact across 8 schools:
End-of-Year Report 2023-2024
At Higher Ground, we believe that every student deserves a safe, supportive environment to learn and grow. This belief fuels our mission and drives the success of our Restart SMART initiative, a data-driven approach to reimagining education and community support.
Here’s how we made a difference in the 2023-2024 academic year:
92% decrease in incidents of school-wide threats, creating safer spaces for students to thrive.
51% reduction in aggression-related incidents, fostering a more positive and productive learning environment.
47% of students improved their attendance, addressing chronic absenteeism and helping students stay on track.
Through collaboration with schools, families, and communities, we are breaking down barriers to success and building a foundation for lasting change.
Explore our 2023-2024 End-of-Year Report to see the full scope of our impact and learn how we’re empowering thousands of students and families across Arizona. Together, we’re transforming lives, one school at a time.
Please always be mindful that our work does not revolve around data. Our work revolves around people with unique stories, challenges, and goals. Stories, growth, and change are not linear. Here are the collective efforts of our shared commitment to making a difference.
Previous Reports
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First Semester Report 2023-2024
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End-of-Year Report 2022-2023
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First Semester Report 2022-2023
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Annual Report 2021-2022
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Annual Report 2016-2017
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Annual Report 2015-2016
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Annual Report 2015
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Overall Impact
Restart SMART is Higher Ground’s adaptation of the Community School Model. We work at schools in Southern Arizona using a trauma-responsive, multi-generational framework. Community School systems have existed in the US for decades with proven results in community empowerment, lower chronic and situational poverty, lower dropout rates, higher attendance, higher rates of attainment for students, and healthier community economic metrics.
Our teams support, streamline, expand, and create systems for schools' existing efforts around:
Family and community engagement
Trauma-informed care
Multi-generation approach
Behavioral, social, and emotional development
Workforce & career skills
Addressing the Eight Dimensions of Wellness
Executive functions
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS)
Enriched learning time and opportunities
After-school and summer enrichment programs
Your Donation Helps Us Empower Arizona.
Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a vital role in advancing our mission. Donations made to Higher Ground are used where the need is greatest. Your support allows us to further our mission of empowering one life at a time to reach, transform, and elevate the community through love and character-building.