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Our Focus for 2024
What happens when we work with partners who are on the same mission to create safe, nurturing environments for the next generation?
One of MILLU's core values is “Collaborate in Community.” This year, we focused on partnering with before- and after-school programs nationwide to bring students, staff, and families together through our Uniqueverse Experience. The Uniqueverse celebrates each person’s uniqueness and ability to join forces together to positively impact our community. Through an immersive activity kit with comic book style storytelling and fun crafts, games, and discussion questions, the Uniqueverse helps students understand how special they truly are. Watching students’ eyes light up as they discover their strengths and learn the power of words and a growth mindset has been inspiring.
This fall, we had the HUGE privilege of partnering with La Mesa-Spring Valley’s Extended Student Services (ESS). Here’s how we collaborated to create meaningful impact!
About Our Partner: LMSV ESS
From the start, we were inspired by LMSV ESS’s dedication to serving students and creating safe, nurturing spaces. Their commitment was especially evident during the 2024 floods when they stepped up to care for students’ physical and emotional well-being. This team lives out true leadership on both good and hard days, putting people first.
LMSV ESS serves a medium-sized district of 17 elementary schools, with 1,800 students enrolled in after-school programs supported by around 200 staff. Their intergenerational team, strong leadership, and long-standing community ties make them a stellar program.
- Student demographics: 52.3% Hispanic/Latino, 26.2% White, 7.9% Black, 4.8% Asian, and others
- Languages: Many students speak a language other than English at home
- Eligibility for free/reduced meals: 63.9%
This partnership allowed us to showcase how MILLU’s Uniqueverse Kits can transform after-school programs and deliver measurable outcomes that positively impact both students and staff.
Challenges and Opportunities
In the before and after school space, there are a couple challenges to constantly be solving for. These were the top 3 we identified:
- All-Staff Alignment: Tools to strengthen intergenerational staff relationships and equip younger staff (ages 16–22) with social and emotional learning (SEL) fundamentals like CASEL and the whole-child approach. It’s one thing to teach SEL as a checkbox on a list of subjects, it’s another for SEL to translate into becoming safe role models that can support the social and emotional wellbeing of our students.
- Grant-Compliance: A need for engaging, grant-compliant SEL curriculum for extended learning grants.
- Ease for Staff: Activities that minimize prep time while keeping students engaged.
- Feedback & Evaluation: Feedback from site leads and staff shaped our custom report, highlighting program strengths and areas of impact to measure efficacy.
Solution: The Uniqueverse Experience
We intentionally took the time to get to know the team before developing a custom solution. Through conversations with ESS leaders and site coordinators, we tailored a package to meet their needs. MILLU provided the Uniqueverse Kit Package, designed to foster bonding in the program between staff teams and students, cultivate emotional resilience, and inspire creativity.
We wanted to flip the script on SEL. Rather than students not looking forward to “opening up about their feels”, we wanted to make SEL more relatable and FUN!
Each kit:
- Required minimal prep for busy staff
- Integrated unique, hands-on SEL activities modeled after the CASEL framework
- Came with materials enough for parents to be able to see what their kids were doing in the program and play as well.
The package also featured a Facilitator’s Guide with 16 additional activities, extending the curriculum for 4–5 months. Affirmation cards offered quick, meaningful SEL moments. Additionally, MILLU provided professional development, equipping staff to facilitate activities and inspire family participation.
Implementation in the LMSV ESS Culture
At MILLU, it’s not just about what we do, but how we do it. Together, we implemented the Uniqueverse Experience through these steps:
- Kickoff Event: We led a workshop for 200 staff titled “Your Inner Superhero!!,” empowering them to embrace their role as student role models and practice active listening.
- Streamlined Distribution: We delivered ready-to-use kits to all 17 sites, sorted for easy deployment.
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- Staff Training: We provided individual site trainings, ensuring teams felt confident implementing the kits. This was our favorite part because we got to see the strengths of each team SHINE! We laughed, we cried, and we affirmed one another as we saw the magic of MILLU happen in real time.
- Feedback & Evaluation: Feedback from site leads and staff shaped our custom report, highlighting program strengths and areas of impact to measure efficacy.
Results
Our partnership delivered transformative results especially within the staff and excitement around SEL:
- Staff Confidence: Confidence in supporting students’ SEL increased from 67% pre-training to 92% post-training.
- Ease of Use: Staff reported reduced prep time and greater focus on student engagement.
Here’s what LMSV ESS staff had to say:
You mentioned walking alongside families and educators to foster children’s identity and SEL, and you genuinely embody that mission. Thank you for bringing such light and care to our team.
– Jennifer Montez, Program Manager, LMSV ESS
“This training made SEL more approachable and helped staff gain insight into their own emotional well-being. The more they understand SEL, the better they can teach it to students.”
– Antonio B., Site Lead
“MILLU’s curriculum is perfect for any SEL program. The engaging activities and straightforward lesson plans help users find success within themselves and their community.”
– Aleia M., Site Lead
Conclusion
We are so grateful to the LMSV ESS team for their openness and collaboration. They truly embody the role models we all want to have!! Their intentionality, experiences, and unity make it evident why students enjoy being at ESS so much and families trust them deeply.
Together, we’ve inspired both staff and students to see their uniqueness as a strength and deepened the connection within their community.
As we look to 2025, we’re excited to partner with more mission-aligned organizations to cultivate safe spaces where uniqueness is embraced and nurtured.
Want to partner for your own Uniqueverse Experience? Contact MILLU today to bring the power of SEL to your after-school program!
