Daniel was a first-grade student at Hillcrest Elementary School, an Edgewood Community School partner. He was having a hard time adjusting to the school routine. He had poor hygiene and spent a lot of time with his head inside his shirt. He was homeless, his father was incarcerated and his mother was dealing with substance abuse withdrawal. Daniel’s teacher didn’t know about his academic skills because he spent most of his time underneath the table avoiding any kind of work or communication. Perceived as “bad” by his classmates, he was not connecting with anyone, and as a result, was frustrated and very angry. The only thing that he was eager to do was play basketball with any adult who had the spare time.

An Edgewood community outreach leader working at Hillcrest coached Daniel how to negotiate with others in school and build the skills to cope with his life situation, a process called The Peace Path, a physical model of how conflict resolution works, aimed at elementary and middle school students.  Every morning he would have breakfast with his coach; shoot some hoops and run-through scenarios to help him practice his new behavior skills. Consistency and patience was the type of support he needed.

After two years of Edgewood working with Daniel, the behavior plan was working. He spent more time in class and his teacher had designated him as her helper. Daniel was even showing other students how to follow The Peace Path. Daniel also began to eat lunch with his new peer friends. Most importantly, he felt good about himself for the first time.

With the continued support of the Edgewood Community School team at Hillcrest, Daniel’s personality and intelligence will continue to lead him down the path of success.

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