(Miami, FL) February 21, 2017 — School Climate Solutions, a comprehensive online platform dedicated to students’ social and emotional success, today announced that it has been named the winner of the Shark Tank competition at the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) 11th Annual Focus on Results Symposium. The symposium included 120 administrators and 55 partners.
During the competition, each partner gave a 3-minute pitch to the audience of administrators. who then picked which “shark tank” they each wanted to visit. Inside the shark tank, partners gave an extended pitch to the administrators present, after which all administrators gave either the response “I am in” or “I am out.” By responding “I am in,” administrators promised the partner a one-hour follow-up meeting with appropriate staff members in their district within three months of the symposium. Winners were chosen based on how many “I am in” responses they received.
“We congratulate School Climate Solutions on winning the Shark Tank competition,” said Dr. David Verdugo, the Executive Director of CALSA. “One of the aims of our Focus on Results Symposium is to connect district leaders with the partners they need, and we look forward to seeing the collaborations that come out of this year's Shark Tank.”
“We are delighted with CALSA members’ embrace of School Climate Solutions,” said Maribel Gonzalez, the founder and CEO of School Climate Solutions. “Our mission is to empower school leaders to be proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to school climate, and I think the Shark Tank participants really appreciated that.”
The School Climate Solutions on-demand platform focuses on the three most important areas related to student social and emotional success: Student and School Safety, Social Emotional Learning, and Mental Health. The platform gives educators access to professional development courses and standards-aligned lesson plans. Students and parents also have access to videos and educational material in both English and Spanish. School Climate Solutions is already serving more than 20,000 students, and partners report a satisfaction rate greater than 90% from educators, students, and parents.
“It’s no surprise that school climate and social and emotional learning have become priorities in our education system,” added Gonzalez. “20% of students report being bullied, another 20% have a diagnosable mental illness, and there were 142 reported school shootings in America in the last two years, so these are clearly serious issues that need to be addressed. At School Climate Solutions, it’s our goal to create safe and healthy school environments all over the nation, so that our children can really thrive and meet their full potential.”
To learn more about School Climate Solutions, please email contact@schoolclimatesolutions.org.
School Climate Solutions
SCS partners with schools and districts to help them reach their goals and comply with regulations related to social emotional success, student well-being, and safety. Currently serving more than 20,000 students, School Climate Solutions’ online portal offers professional development resources for educators and bilingual educational materials for students and parents. For more information or resources, please visit SchoolClimateSolutions.org.