Ready & Resilient
Youth Initiative
BECAUSE COLLEGE READINESS + AN EMPOWERED MINDSET
IS THE EQUATION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
A New Equation for Student Success
A joint initiative to build college readiness, character, and communication skills for middle and high schoolers—because resilience fuels success in the classroom and beyond.
A Multiplier Effect
Our Ready & Resilient Youth Initiative is a research-backed solution to the deeply intertwined education and youth mental health crises. It closes academic learning gaps and equips students with the coping skills, confidence, and self-awareness they need to succeed long after graduation.
1 + 1 = 3
What happens when you combine evidence-based resilience training with a proven college readiness platform?
You don’t just prepare students for tests.
You prepare them for life.
Our Targeted Approach
Problem
Our Ready & Resilient Youth Solution
70% of youth are not proficient in Math or Reading
Academic Acceleration: A proven college readiness platform with standards-aligned content and personalized learning to address learning loss gaps
79% of high school graduates are not college ready
Turnkey Educator Resources: Lessons leveraged by content and non-content experts to ensure that no matter who’s leading the classroom, students learn
Gaps between high-performing and low-performing students widen
Prevention > Intervention: A proactive solution that ensures every student learns the skills to succeed - academically and emotionally
Most schools lack structured, research-based resilience programs
Connection & Support: Quick, easy-to-implement lessons to build empathy, self-esteem, and inner strength—with little teacher training required
Youth anxiety and depression have doubled in the past decade
Resilience-Building Conversations: “Skill of the Week” guided classroomdiscussions to build coping skills, emotional regulation, and problem-solving
Only 42% of parents in low-performing schools feel adequately engaged
Academic Acceleration: A proven college readiness platform with standards-aligned content and personalized learning to address learning loss gaps
The Results
Teacher and Parent Approved
100%
of administrators value the easy implementation, minimal training, and low time commitment.
94%
of educators say it improves communication in classrooms
91%
of parents say it helps them connect more deeply with their children
Significant Academic Gains: By supporting nearly 100
million minutes per month of learning, our students show
-
10% average growth in English
-
20% average growth in Math
Empirically-Proven Outcomes: Proven to promote statistically significant improvements in resilience
(mastery, relatedness, emotional reactivity), depression,
anxiety, and self-efficacy
Effortless Implementation: Minimal training required,
and just 10–15 minutes a week to spark powerful change.
Improved Confidence: Our students are 4x more likely
to be confident in their college journeys
English
3.5x
More likely to be
college ready in English
Reading
3.6x
More likely to be
college ready in Reading
Math
4.0x
More likely to be
college ready in Math
Science
4.0x
More likely to be
college ready in Science
Our Trusted Partners
We’re trusted by some of our nation’s most diverse and high-performing public, private, and charter schools and after-school programs.
Let's Build the Future Together!
This initiative is a call to action for schools, communities, and funders ready to reimagine what it means to be truly college and life ready.​
Contact us to co-create impact in your district or program.
Let’s equip the next generation not only with knowledge but also
with the resilience to use it.
"Ready"
Jennifer Winward, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO, Winward Academy
jennifer@winwardacademy.com
"Resilient"
Kristin MacDermott, LMFT
Founder, Mindset Moments
kristin@macdermottmethod.com
