Higher Ground A Resource Center

Higher Ground: a Resource Center, is a non-profit 501c3 organization, on a mission to empower one life at a time to reach, transform, and elevate communities through love and building character. For 18 years, Higher Ground has specialized in comprehensive support to critically at-risk students suffering from the effects of childhood trauma and poverty. Based on these experiences, Higher Ground has created the Restart SMART strategy for life coaching. Restart SMART is a series of extracurricular initiatives, developed in partnership with schools, families, academics, education groups, bi-partisan policymakers—and of course, youth. Higher Ground's constituents primarily include students and families in Title I schools across Tucson, Phoenix, and Chandler, who often live below the poverty line, face opportunity gaps, and may experience challenges such as chronic absenteeism, unstable housing, food insecurity, and effects of trauma. We also serve educators within school communities. Schools implementing Higher Ground's Restart SMART strategy have up to a 68% decrease in drug and substance-related discipline incidents and a 51% decrease in aggression-related discipline incidents and 92% decrease in incidents of school-wide threats. We have improved historically F-graded schools to B and C grades, and up to 47% of Higher Ground students have improved attendance, 55% have improved resilience/grit, and 56% have improved their overall wellness. We invite you to be a part of our journey and story-in-the-making! You can support us by joining Higher Ground Heroes at Please follow our LinkedIn page at higher-ground-resource-center, and our Instagram at highergroundaz, commenting on what we share and please share our news updates with friends and colleagues. You can sign up for our News Updates at Please consider donating to help youth and families in Arizona at