Where it began
When WhyTry Founder Christian Moore became a social worker, he discovered that the youth he was working with at a local alternative high school were having a difficult time retaining the principles they were being taught. He soon realized why: The majority of these students were visual learners. Christian started drawing pictures that represented the concepts the youth needed to learn, and was excited to find they were actually paying attention. In the next session, the youth would remember Christian’s picture and be excited for the next one. Soon Christian had created a series of ten visual analogies, drawing from both his time at the alternative high school and his own experiences as a student with severe learning disabilities.
The Visual AnalogiesEach visual analogy teaches a life skill to help youth thrive. For example: A picture of a roller coaster demonstrates that decisions have consequences; a picture of crabs in a pot explains how to avoid negative peer pressure; and a picture of a weightlifter shows youth the benefits of keeping laws and rules. |
A Multisensory ApproachThe ten pictures became the foundation for the WhyTry Program, which soon developed into a multisensory, solution-focused approach that caters to every learning type. The program uses relevant multimedia, such as video, music, and literature, and reinforces each lesson with physical learning activities. |
Research-based StrategiesWhyTry has changed the lives of 6-year-olds and 18-year-olds, rural and inner city youth, males and females, and youth from a variety of races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. Across multiple third party studies, researchers have seen significant positive changes using WhyTry. |



