The Toolbox Project

Toolbox™ is a kindergarten through 6th grade program that supports children in understanding and managing their own emotional, social, and academic success. The foundation of Toolbox is 12 human capacities that reside within all of us. Through its simple and profound metaphor of Tools, Toolbox brings forward a set of skills and practices that help students access their own inner resilience at any time, in any context.

Children learn 12 simple yet powerful Tools. With practice, these Tools become valuable personal skills: self-awareness, self-management, and relationship-building which, in turn, foster responsible decision-making. Because the techniques are simple and the language is shared, children adopt the Tools and master them quickly. Toolbox begins with a teacher providing instruction on how to use the Tools. Through modeling and daily classroom practices, the teacher subsequently supports his/her students to use the Tools to build self-knowledge and self-trust. Schools note rapid improvements in communication, civility, and conflict resolution in the classroom, on the playground, and across the entire school community. Providing parents and caregivers with the Tools and information on how to incorporate the practices into the home setting allows for continuity and reinforcement of skills for students.

Accepted to the Portfolio: April 2017