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Our Philosophy
The Mendez Foundation developed the Too Good programs to make a difference in the lives of children, their families, and the community. When designing our programs, we evaluated and incorporated numerous elements that positively impact students, while helping them learn decision-making skills, and encouraging them to lead healthy happy lives.
Traditionally understood, a holistic approach to education has focused on childhood learning in terms of “head, hands, and heart,” referring to cognitive, physical, and social-emotional developmental domains, respectively. Educators and researchers understand the interplay of these domains on childhood development and the necessity for developing lessons that do not merely compartmentalize educational outcomes.
The Mendez Foundation believes serving the whole child through an age and individually-appropriate educational approach that reinforces and promotes the significance and interdependence of all developmental domains – social, emotional, cognitive, and physical – as essential to the health and well-being of children everywhere. Because this approach does not dispense with traditional cognitive models, we find it best to describe the practice of teaching to the whole child as a useful supplement or addition to existing or monolithic models of education. Indeed, students who are physically, emotionally, and socially prepared are considerably more successful when measured cognitively.
We are committed to the principle that children play a central role in their development. The Mendez Foundation and its programs are guided by the principle that a student equipped with a set of tools and skills is more likely to make healthy choices and develop positive behaviors.
A Recipe for Success
At the core of all the Mendez Foundation programs, is social-emotional learning, which helps children develop the skills they need in order to make positive life decisions and set achievable goals. Talking to children to make the right choice today prepares them to make a healthy choice today, but giving children the skills and the tools to make those healthy choices on their own and understand what influences them will ready them for a lifetime.
A Comprehensive Approach
The Mendez Foundation believes in a coordinated, strategic approach to creating a safe and supportive environment for learning. Our programs help establish healthy, violence-free, and drug-free norms. Involving the child’s entire community creates the greatest opportunity to further impact a child’s behavior.
Our Work
For Mr. Mendez, it was important to establish a program that was based on research and was appropriately tested. Alongside our partners in research, education, and testing, we developed a constructive curriculum that is proven to create real changes in the behavior of students. We continue to test our programs and revise our activities to keep up with the latest research.
