In September 2020, in the midst of COVID-19 and distance learning chaos in schools, 15 school counselors in 2 school districts took The Connection Practice Core: Inner Wellness for Success.
On a scale of 1-10, the course received an average rating of 9.
Student Survey Results:
Reporting on what was "easy" or "very easy" to do
COVID interrupted the learning process, the evaluation plan and the filming of the project for a documentary. We expect the percentages in the survey would have been higher if the plan had been fully implemented.
St. Rita School in Fort Worth, Texas implemented the Connection Practice Curriculum.
Dr. Laurie Porter evaluated the results:
Overall, based on my interview with the principal and the teachers’ written responses, the Connection Practice methodology was an effective tool for counseling students, creating a harmonious classroom atmosphere and helping students to feel calm and focused before tests, as well as giving the students themselves tools to help understand and take charge of their emotions.
A Connection Practice Trainer and guidance counselor teaching the first Connection Practice (formerly BePeace) pilot at Oakley Elementary in Texas.
A restorative justice project of the South County Youth Task Force will teach youth offenders with Spanish magnetic Boards and our new Digital Boards App. This program aims to lower citations and dissuade a path into the juvenile justice system.
The Connection Practice has been implemented into 4th, 5th and 6th grade classrooms in St. Mary School in Gilroy. With the combination of tactile magnetic Boards and the Connection Practice Digital Boards, students will be able to resolve conflicts anywhere and anytime, within the classroom and at home. We aim to show that this method is efficient and effective in reducing stress and building self-confidence in students.
Heart-brain coherence, which plays a major role in the effectiveness of the Connection Practice, has been thoroughly researched by the HeartMath Institute®. Several HeartMath studies have been recognized by the National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs (NREPP) for having met their criteria as evidence-based research.
For example, a study by the U.S. Department of Education, funded with $1,000,000, showed coherence had a statistically-significant impact on reducing test anxiety and improving test performance. Some of the results were:
This graph shows the results of a study involving students who had failed the Minnesota Basic Standards Tests and needed to retake them.
All the students went to a 3-week course to learn academic skills, but the HeartMath group also received training in coherence.
Within the HeartMath group, 64% of them passed the math test compared to the district average of 42%. In reading, 55% of them passed compared to the district average of 31%.
This graph shows the results of a study of a sample of 11,903 people before and after six weeks of HeartMath training.
Individuals learned coherence and reported feeling less exhaustion, depression, anxiety, annoyance and anger, almost half the amount they did before the training.
Masumi Takahashi, a Japanese business owner and CEO, suffering from health problems, was distraught to find that suddenly his son, Makoto, could not walk. Masumi was desperate to provide for his family believing that hard work "now" would give his family happiness "later." However, he sensed that his own personal challenges and his son's new disability stemmed from something deeper.
Masumi began to earnestly seek a solution to these problems and discovered the Connection Practice. By using empathy and coherence, which led to an insight, he understood Makoto's feelings and needs. This began Makoto's and Masumi's healing.
The Connection Practice was introduced in the Costa Rican public school system in 2004 beginning with one school. Each year, the program was independently evaluated by graduate students from the United Nations University for Peace.
The results on the right show the positive impact in Costa Rica, where the Connection Practice has been taught to almost 1,500 teachers, impacting more than 40,000 students per year.
Costa Rican Ministry of Education Evaluations of the
Connection Practice Course by 195 Teachers
Costa Rican teachers embraced the Connection Practice, called SerPaz in Costa Rica, as evidenced by this graph from the Ministry of Education.
The teachers were stressed when they arrived at the course, but the ratings of over 97% in every category demonstrate their enthusiasm for what they learned.
