By: Ann Rankowitz

In December, Kaiser Permanente announced a partnership with the nonprofit Alliance for a Healthier Education and Discovery Education. Kaiser Permanente’s Resilience in School Environments (RISE Program) will bring on-site and virtual resources to schools focused on the social and emotional health of both students and school staff members, with plans to reach 25,000 schools by 2023.

The RISE Program empowers schools to create safe and supportive learning environments by cultivating practices that strengthen the social and emotional health of all school employees and students.

Developed as part of Thriving Schools, RISE works with schools and districts to prepare school employees to better understand and integrate social and emotional well-being into all aspects of school life, both theirs and their students.

“Schools function best when students, staff, and teachers are happy and healthy. RISE is an important pathway to helping schools get there.” – Kaiser Permanente

RISE works with school staff, teachers, and districts to address the underlying factors of stress in schools and develop strategies and practices that foster more positive school environments. RISE seeks these outcomes:

• Increased staff job satisfaction, including reducing staff stress
• Improved safety, connectedness, and relationships among students and staff
• Increased skills related to social and emotional learning for staff and students
• Increased mental health supports

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