Remember those years between the pirate ship playground and high school chem lab? Ask most adults which chapter of their lives they never want to repeat, and middle school tops the list. It’s a tough time social media, peer pressure, personal growth, and family instability can overwhelm students, leaving them no where to turn. Research proves that building personal connections with teachers and mentors keeps kids engaged at school, preventing them from risky behaviors and slipping through the cracks. Of Hawaii’s 37,000 middle school kids, over 6,000 will not graduate high school on time (if at all) without intervention.
