{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T23:44:08Z","timestamp":1791848648986,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767139200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"philanthropist Thomas Hurvis"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007046","name":"Greater Milwaukee Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007046","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Schools play a central role in child development and socialization and can function as protective environments that mitigate the effects of adversity. Building on the Social Ecological Model and Community School Transformation, we propose a \u201cSchools-as-Neighborhoods\u201d framework that conceptualizes schools as intentionally designed microenvironments capable of generating social capital, promoting positive childhood experiences, and buffering harmful neighborhood exposures through trauma-informed programming. Methods: We conducted a convergent mixed-methods study across four public and charter schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving grades five through nine. STRYV365\u2019s peak team and Brain Agents gamified intervention were implemented between 2022\u20132024. Quantitative surveys and qualitative data assessed students\u2019 lived experiences, exposure to adversity, emotional awareness, coping skills, and school connectedness\/climate across multiple waves. Results: Across the four schools (n = 1626 students), baseline academic proficiency was low, and exposure to adversity was high among surveyed participants (n = 321), including bereavement (74%) and family incarceration (56%). Despite these challenges, qualitative findings revealed strengthened emotional regulation, empathy, motivation, and goal setting among students engaged in trauma-informed programming. Teachers reported improved peer interaction and community building during sustained implementation. Conclusion: The Schools-as-Neighborhoods framework highlights the value of trauma-informed, relationship-centered school environments in promoting student well-being. By positioning schools as cohesive ecosystems that foster belonging and cultivate social capital, this approach offers educators and policymakers a pathway for mitigating the effects of hostile lived environments and supporting students\u2019 mental health, social development, and engagement in learning.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children13010059","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T16:34:23Z","timestamp":1767198863000},"page":"59","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Schools as Neighborhoods: A Holistic Framework for Student Well-Being, Opportunity, and Social Success"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7113-1153","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cordelia R.","family":"Elaiho","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Constance","family":"Gundacker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-0617-3679","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas H.","family":"Chelius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Health & Humanity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brandon","family":"Currie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"STRYV365, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7139-1289","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John R.","family":"Meurer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Health & Humanity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"United States Department of Education (2025). 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