Wayfinder

When a peer steps in, bullying stops more than half the time (57%).

Students have real power to stop bullying. But stepping in is hard. It takes ongoing practice to stay calm, notice how others are feeling, and pause before acting.

This Bullying Prevention Month, add staying power to the work your schools are already doing. Our free resource includes quick PreK-12 activities, from learning to say "stop" effectively to exploring what it means to be an upstander. Each one takes just 5-20 minutes.

Plus, see how Wayfinder helps districts like yours build belonging all year so that bullying stops before it starts.

👉 Get the resource: https://wfndr.co/4y2Qxv2

Starting middle school is one of the most stressful events K-12 students go through together. When that transition goes poorly, it can take a heavy toll on academics, motivation, and feelings of connection.

The need for belonging isn't unique to middle school, but the emotional and developmental volatility of early adolescence makes it extra critical.

Wayfinder's Belonging in Middle School Resource Pack offers research-backed teaching + learning strategies for leaders and educators supporting students in grades 6–8, plus some of our most-loved activities and lessons for each grade.

👉 Get the pack here: https://wfndr.co/47i2t0E

35,000 decisions are made per person, per day. How can we equip students with the skills to make better decisions in school and + life?

Students' brains are actively developing the ability to make good decisions, especially during the middle and high school years. Reasoning, weighing consequences, and metacognition become essential skills students must learn to make conscious, intentional choices—like showing up to school on time, completing homework, and treating peers and adults in the building with respect.

Developed with the Decision Education Foundation, Wayfinder's Responsible Decision Making Resource Pack turns decision science into a framework that middle and high school students can use in the classroom. It includes ready-to-use activities, slide decks, and discussion guides to put it into practice.

✏️ Get our Responsible Decision Making Resource Pack here: https://wfndr.co/4hcPYZ3

📍 Last stop on our road trip! Denver, CO ⛰️

Super Sea Star, Helpful Harlow, and Resilient Riley covered thousands of miles this summer (alpine lakes, steep trails, a few too many road trip snacks) and wrapped it all up on a Denver rooftop with the Wayfinder Marketing team. The plushies had a *lot* to share!

The road trip stops this summer put our elementary curriculum and characters on the map. 🗺️ They also highlighted our six Core Skills for all ages: Self-Awareness, Adaptability, Empathy, Collaboration, Agency, and Purpose.

These skills don't work alone, and students don't build them one at a time; they build them together, on trails and in classrooms and at kitchen tables. Just like our Wayfinder team does every day at work.

Our job is to help schools build human skills. We're heading into this school year ready to do exactly that. 🫶

📍 Road trip stop 17: Yellowstone National Park, WY

Helpful Harlow explored the most geothermally active place on Earth—Yellowstone! She followed the trails of the local herds to explore the 10,000 geysers and hydrothermal features across the park.

What looks like chaos from above (steam, mud pots, geysers erupting on their own schedules...) is actually one interconnected system underground, all fed by the same heat source. Harlow's takeaway: the wildest + trickiest things usually make more sense once you understand what's underneath. 🌋

It's a good reminder for the classroom, too. A student's behavior, mood, or motivation can look unpredictable on the surface—but there's almost always something underneath driving it. Self-awareness and empathy help us look past the surface and see what's really going on, for ourselves and for each other.

Learn more about our six Core Skills and how they help students understand what's underneath ⬇️
https://wfndr.co/4cICMtv

📍 Road trip stop 16: Glacier National Park, MT

All three of our elementary school plushies hit the trail together at Glacier National Park, nicknamed the "Crown of the Continent." Can you see why? 👑

From this park, water flows into three different oceans—the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic. 🌊

Resilient Riley, Super Sea Star, and Helpful Harlow are getting tired from their long journey. We hope you've been enjoying following along! 🗺️ Stay tuned for the last few posts.

10+ years ago, we set out to help students navigate uncertainty with purpose, belonging, and future-ready skills. A decade later, here’s what the data says.

Swipe through for highlights from our Decade of Impact report, and read the full report (and press release) at the link in our bio!

As we move forward, we’re excited to share that Wayfinder has joined Lemnis as a nonprofit division—our next chapter in a decade-long mission to help students build the skills that matter most for school, work, and life. 🎉

Nothing changes about our day-to-day work or who we are. Our curriculum, team, and commitment to the districts and educators we serve remain the same. What’s new is the support behind us. Lemnis is a public charity dedicated to expanding learning for all, and as part of the Lemnis Collective, we join Mainstay and InsideTrack—two organizations that have had a demonstrable impact on students’ journeys to and through college.  

From day one of conversations, Lemnis understood our vision. This new home lets us move faster on our mission, with a network of like-minded organizations, deep expertise in research and growth, and the freedom to invest in what matters long-term instead of chasing quarterly results.  

Thank you to our district partners, educators, and team for a decade of trust. Here’s to what’s next—together with Lemnis!