"The 15 Essential Skills program is a culturally sensitive approach grounded in helping teachers to start where the child is and seeing everything as a learning experience, rather than a failure that needs consequence or punishment. When we view children beyond their behaviors, address what is happening and where they are coming from, we teach children that they are valuable, needed members in the classroom—we give them hope. Giving children hope keeps them in the classroom, learning from teacher and peers. This means less days out of the classroom and less chance of entering the school to prison pipeline, which needlessly entraps so many precious lives."

"The 15 Essential Skills recognizes the importance of stages of development. The slightest intervention during the lapse of a year can reshape human behavior. I agree wholeheartedly that forming skills at a very early age using subconscious concepts, will help build success in the classroom and at home with family. The early milestones that children will achieve will significantly impact their lives while increasing outcomes in use of peer to peer interactions, eventually with colleagues and ultimately in our everyday communities. The 15 Skills program is a good way to do this."

"Schools are becoming increasingly aware of how educational success demands self-discipline in the form of cognitive control, attentional capacity and the ability to inhibit impulses. If students are taught the 15 Skills Program, social-emotional competencies are significantly enhanced and students are more likely to attain their educational goals."

"Kate is a great teacher and facilitator. Since it is so close to the beginning of the school year, it can be trying to keep people focused. She addressed this at the start. She made good use of the materials and gave time for interaction. Strategies were varied. Her modeling gave us many ideas and strategies to use in the classroom."