What Students Say

"It makes me feel good about myself and knowing when I make a mistake I am not stupid and I just learned a lesson." – 3rd Grader

"I learn from all the principles every time I hear them. They help me through life. Without them I'd be lost." – 3rd Grader

"I have learned so much I can use it all my life. I can teach it to others. For an example, if a friend is going to do something bad I now use introspection to look inside myself." – 2nd Grader

"I want other kids to learn about responsibility, self-control, rights, errors, introspection, and the mistakes steps too, because it helped me." – 3rd Grader

"The steps for correcting errors have changed my life. I used to throw fits like if I spilled or something like that. Self-control helped me stop doing things like that." – 2nd Grader

"I think it [the ESSENTIAL Curriculum] changes lives. It has changed mine." – 2nd Grader

"It is a good thing for kids around the world. And now I feel good using ESSENTIAL in having good sportsmanship and leadership. Thank you." – 3rd Grader

"It is fun. I use introspection in almost everything. It can change your life." – 2nd Grader

"I believe that if the word is spread about the program it could make a big effect on the world. I know it has helped me in many ways. ESSENTIAL helps me do better with goals. Goals are very important in my life style. I think this program has helped me grow better with responsibility. I used to be not so good. But now I know what responsibilities I should take care of. I hope that the program gives everyone the message the way it did for me." – 3rd Grader

"It teaches you to respect everyone's rights. Corwin [an ESSENTIAL Curriculum character] taught me to solve a lot of problems." – 2nd Grader

"I learned not to do just anything, but to think then act and not to be bothersome." – 1st Grader

"It taught me that introspection is looking deep down inside of me to find the answer to a dilemma, not the answer of a spelling word. It has taught me that making mistakes is one of the best ways of growing." – 3rd Grader

"It taught me to like myself, trust myself, respect myself." – 5th Grader

"Introspection is one of the best ways to grow up. Dilemmas tell me about emotions. Goals tell me about responsibility, and empathy tells me about rights, and it's really good and I love it! And Lester [another ESSENTIAL Curriculum character] told me that bragging or being mean won't win you a crown." – 2nd Grader

"Lester teachers about responsibility … he teachers people how to sit up in class and how to walk in the hallway." – Kindergartener

"I have had it [the ESSENTIAL Curriculum] for four years. It has helped me a lot for what I do in class, in the lunch room, and on the playground. It has helped me because before I was making mistakes and I didn't know how to correct them. Now I do." – 3rd Grader

"It helped me use introspection on dilemmas and goals. It's helped me through life on problem solving … and helped me do new things, and helped me to work with other people." – 2nd Grader

"A mistake is when you say ‘oops I goofed’ and you put it all back again." – Kindergartener

"It's my responsibility to take care of my junk." – Kindergartener

"Self-esteem means you have to have faith in yourself and you have to respect other people's rights. You don't ever hate yourself. People have a right to not like things, like not liking to do homework, but you still have to do it because you're responsible for it. If you steal anything you won't respect yourself. Something inside of you will bother you and tell you to return it. When you return it you respect yourself again." – 3rd Grader

"It taught me that no matter how hard things get, I'll always pull through." – 5th Grader

"What I learned about rights are you should never take thim [sic] from nobody. What I learned about self-control is that you should never go around killing people or stealing things. Self-control is what every body on this earth should have, even people on the streets." – 4th Grader