San Miguel Elementary joined the Ashoka Changemaker Schools Network in 2014. Ashoka is a national community of elementary schools that aim to serve as models for cultivating skills such as teamwork, empathy, leadership and problem-solving. It serves as a platform where teachers can share their best practices when it comes to building these skills through webcasts and blogs, or even via live video chats.

Being a part of the network means San Miguel has access to the best practices of other leading schools in the country and the world, as Ashoka has built a network of more than 3,000 entrepreneurs across the globe.

According to Ashoka, a child who masters empathy at the age of 6 is less likely to bully 10 years later, and for students who have had one supportive relationship with an adult outside the family can be the difference between success and failure as an adult. Empathy is increasingly critical to success at home, in the workplace, and in the world.

For more information about the Changemaker Schools Network, visit startempathy.org.