John Hernandez 

Director of Student Services, East Central ISD, San Antonio, TX

“I knew something was missing with the term “at-risk”. After listening to Dr. H at a conference in San Antonio, his term “wounded student” helped me connect the dots. Wounded kids are beyond at-risk, so the preventative aspect of our at-risk interventions were not tending to the social/emotional and sometimes physical needs of children who have experienced trauma. At East Central ISD, we have developed the EC Cares focus group in response to this need. We utilize a chart to identify wounded/EC Cares students (note: H4W provides a sample template to clients), and we have found that once we identified students and provide appropriate support, there’s been an increase in attendance verses those who have not been identified. We have begun making this a district-wide initiative. EC Cares has positively impacted the culture of the district to meet the needs of all of our students and staff. It takes a village!”  

C. Wayne Lovell, PhD

Mountain Education Charter HS, Cleveland, GA

"Having the opportunity to provide a district level professional development, completely focused on the wounded student, has been a hallmark experience for our organization. Without question, Dr. Hendershott’s time with our system set the tone for
this school year. Thank you Dr.
Hendershott for your passion,
dedication, and insight." 

Kathleen Seto, BA (Hons). Dip Tch, MEd, EdD

Principal, Fairvale HS, New South Wales, Australia

"The teachers at Fairvale High school, Australia, were positive and enthusiastic in their feedback about Joe Hendershott's presentation. In particular, they said - "It was important to establish the foundation in understanding the difference  between 'at risk' and 'wounded' and how to identify and support wounded students. That every moment is a teachable moment was powerful; the need for empathy in emotionally connecting to students and asking 'what' questions instead of 'why' was a powerful reminder. Joe's stories intertwined with theory enabled teachers to sit and listen to him for four hours, reflect on their current teaching practice and come away enriched and inspired to be more compassionate and caring for our students....We found Joe to be a genuine and creative person enabling us to think outside the box and empowering us to bring about real change. We loved the inspiring stories that showcased real change and the alternative plans to assist wounded students and not relying only on the rule book. The phrase 'what's true for me is true for them!' was excellent."