The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District was recognized for its program designed to enhance student success and well-being.
Making Our Schools an Inclusive Community, or MOSAIC, won the 2025 Glen W. Hoffman Award from the Santa Clara County School Boards Association. The program previously won this award in 2023 and also received the Kristi Porter Outstanding Program Award for its postsecondary program, Stepping Up for Successful Post Secondary Transitions.
The program uses staff-designed lessons to support students’ social-emotional growth. The program addresses serious topics like stress management, Title IX and suicide prevention. Students are connected with teachers, have discussions with each other and use resources to help them make positive, healthy choices.
“When we launched MOSAIC during the pandemic, it began as a small effort with staff leading advisory sessions, trying to create a space where students felt heard and supported,” Superintendent Heath Rocha said in a release. “Today, it has grown into a transformative program that reaches every student in our district, reinforcing our commitment to their well-being and success. This program, along with our incredible staff in our wellness centers, is a testament to the measurable impact they have on school connectedness, safety and mental health.”
MOSAIC is held once a month during the schools’ tutorial period, a daily break before lunch when students can make up work or speak with teachers for extra help, said school district spokeswoman Tanya De La Cruz.
According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, the program is leading to significant improvements in student well-being, school satisfaction and safety. More than 700 freshmen and more than 500 juniors at Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools took the survey, which indicated that student-teacher relationships are at their highest levels since the pandemic. The report saw a 17% increase in the number of Los Gatos High School students and a 19% increase in the number of Saratoga High School students who feel a teacher or adult at the school cares about them.
The district also stated that the percentage of students of students happy at to be at school rose by 24% at Los Gatos High School and 9% at Saratoga High School. Feelings of safety at school increased by 35% at Los Gatos High School and 8% at Saratoga High School.
Both high schools also reported a five-year low in reports of suicidal thoughts and increased confidence in the schools’ handling of sexual harassment reports.
MOSAIC was launched in the 2021-22 school year and developed with input and data from the annual California Healthy Kids Survey. The program will be recognized at an awards ceremony on May 7.
Source: www.mercurynews.com