The ARC Collaborativeand ​Cooper’s Crossroads

​Cooper's Crossroad is thrilled to announce our partnership with The ARC Collaborative, a program of the Keene School District for emotionally troubled and at-risk children based at Symonds School. Together, we are designing a mental health intervention program for our students. This
new program is designed to be an component of the therapeutic programming provided by ARC and will be available to children from ages 5-12 years of age.
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Most of our students have experienced significant chronic stress and complex trauma in their lives. There is a growing body of research indicating the therapeutic benefits of working with and riding horses under the guidance of trained mental health and equestrian specialists. This research is demonstrating the therapeutic benefits for children with a range of mental health concerns, especially those with history of complex
trauma. 

The students in the ARC experience low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and
difficulty regulating their behavior and emotions. We believe that experience grooming, walking, and riding horses as well as engaging in barn chores will contribute to our students developing healthy attachments to animals and humans, better regulate emotions and behavior, and improved self-esteem and sense of personal competence.