Success Stories

Welcome to our “Success Stories” page! Here, we share inspiring testimonials from students and educators who have experienced the transformative power of the Persist Kids program. Through our innovative curriculum, students gain valuable life skills and discover new ways of thinking about themselves and their potential. Our program covers topics such as body language, goal setting, overcoming obstacles, and celebrating successes, all of which are essential to building confident and resilient young leaders.

Jasir, an 8th grader, shared how Persist Kids helped him become a better student and leader in his school and community. Mable, a 7th grader, found confidence in her own choices thanks to our program. Dr. Erick Alfonso, praised the determination and discipline our curriculum instills in students. But don’t just take their word for it! Parents have also seen the impact of Persist Kids on their children, with one mom calling it an “awesome combination of engaging storytelling with writing that gets your kids to think differently and talk through everyday life problems.”

Educators have also praised our program, with one teacher noting how it helped her students set and achieve goals, and another calling it a “positive addition” to any school district. Our success stories demonstrate the real-world impact of the Persist Kids program and its ability to empower students to become leaders in their schools and communities.

Katherine Escalante, School Social Worker

Topics You Wouldn’t Learn in a Classroom

The Persist Kids program is an opportunity for students to learn about different topics that you wouldn’t necessarily learn in a classroom, such as body language, overcoming obstacles, celebrating successes, and goal setting. In their ability to develop friendships, they’re able to brainstorm together, come up with solutions, so in that manner, it’s positively impacted students in the classroom but also outside of school as well.

Jasir, 8th grade

Be a Leader in School and in the Community

What I like about the Persist Kids program is that it helps you work hard in class and achieve your goals. Persist Kids motivated me to be a better student, and a leader for the school and in the community.

Mable, 7th grade

Find Confidence in Your Own Choices

What I like about the Persist Kids program is that it has helped me find confidence in my own choices. It made me think more about my future, and how I need to plan my life.

Dr. Erick Alfonso, Dean

The Determination and Discipline to Follow Through

Our students actually have a road map, a plan, that they develop in order to achieve their goals. Through the Persist Kids curriculum, the students have the determination and the discipline to follow through – to improve grades in a certain subject, structure their homework, structure projects. Our students are able to take a cross-curricular approach, applied to academic achievement as well as their everyday lives.

We have enjoyed implementing Persist Kids in our district. We have been on a social-emotional learning (SEL) journey and wanted a partner who valued SEL as much as we did. We found the perfect partner in Persist Kids. They took the time to understand our needs, our areas of focus, and our intended outcomes. It was this attention to detail that made them the perfect partners in our SEL journey. The lessons are engaging and effortless to implement with high fidelity. If you are a district who understands the value of a holistic approach to teaching and learning then you will prioritize SEL and a powerful implementation partner. Persist Kids is that type of partner!

— Sandra Rodriguez-Gomez, Assistant Superintendent of Schools

Hoboken Public Schools

For any parent out there looking for non-traditional learning activities that help build essential life lessons, Persist Kids is it. It’s been super helpful in helping me teach softer skills to my son that virtual school isn’t addressing. It’s an awesome combination of engaging storytelling with writing that gets your kids to think differently and talk through everyday life problems that will come at them throughout their life. I haven’t seen anything this comprehensive and easy to follow before to help with such essential life skills. LOVE IT!!

— Jessica, working mom of 6-year old son

Working with Persist Kids was a pleasure. They ensure the needs of schools are met, and that training is beneficial and meaningful to the teachers. After implementing the program, a teacher spoke to a student about the grit the child used while building with Legos. A comment like this is an example of the impact that the Persist Kids programs have on school programming.

— Roberta Bernhard, Assistant Director

Kaplan Cooperative Preschool

Having a leadership program for a group of 6th graders was extremely beneficial. It was great to watch my students set goals and work toward them every day. The students really responded to having a goal written on their desk for them to visually see and reflect on. I would love to see this program continue with them as they get into the upper grades.

— Melissa Gerson, 6th Grade Teacher,

Thomas G. Connors School

I do not have any incertitude that Persist Kids will be a positive addition to any school district that is looking for students to be led through a new and innovative leadership lens. The Persist Kids program at Thomas G. Connors Elementary School during my tenure was refreshing yet innovative for my students. The fifth grade students consistently asked for more. Additionally, we added more leadership sessions to the schedule due to their overwhelming appreciation of the content.

— Dr. Gerald Fitzhugh II, Deputy Superintendent

Newark Board of Education