WhyTry and WorkAbility Programs
Real Tools for Real Student Challenges
WhyTry is a research-based framework for building essential resilience skills through metaphors, activities, and relationship-building strategies that help educators reach students struggling with motivation, behavior, and responsibility. In this short demonstration, you’ll see exactly how WorkAbility teams can use those tools to support students with job-site readiness, follow-through, and emotional regulation — in the real moments they come up. No lengthy curriculum. No heavy rollout. Just practical strategies you can take back and use with a student tomorrow.
See It in Action — In Just 30 Minutes
You’re busy. Your students need real support now. In one short session, you’ll see exactly how WhyTry plugs into your WorkAbility program to build responsibility, behavior, and workplace readiness — with tools you can use every day.
🗓️ Tuesday, May 5th at 10:00 AM Pacific
🗓️ Thursday, May 7th at 2:00 PM Pacific
The Reality Workability Teams Are Facing
You’re already doing the hard work:
- Connecting students to job opportunities
- Supporting transition goals
- Preparing them for real-world expectations
But many students still struggle with:
- Avoiding tasks or shutting down
- Not following through at job sites
- Taking feedback personally or reacting emotionally
- Blaming others instead of taking responsibility
- Inconsistent attendance or engagement
These aren’t program problems.
They’re skill gaps.
A Simple Way to Address It—Right When It Happens
WhyTry gives you quick, practical tools you can use:
- In a 1-on-1 conversation
- During a job check-in
- In a small group
- Right after a challenging moment
No long setup.
No complicated training.
No need to “roll out a program.”
Just tools that work—when you need them most.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Instead of:
“We’ve talked about this before—you need to take responsibility.”
You can use a simple WhyTry visual and ask:
“Are you carrying the weight—or dropping it?”
That one shift:
- Removes defensiveness
- Creates clarity
- Helps the student see their behavior differently
Built for the Moments That Matter
- Redirecting students who are avoiding responsibility
- Helping students process mistakes without shutting down
- Preparing students for workplace expectations
- Supporting emotional regulation in real-time
- Coaching students through difficult conversations
These are the moments that determine whether a student succeeds at work.
Yes, It Can Be a Full Program—But It Doesn’t Have to Be
Some schools use WhyTry as a full curriculum. WorkAbility teams often start differently.
- A quick intervention tool
- A conversation framework
- A way to reinforce expectations consistently
You can start small—and still see immediate impact.
Why It Works for WorkAbility
- Workplace readiness
- Self-advocacy
- Responsibility and follow-through
- Emotional regulation
- Independence
Especially Helpful Right Now
Many WorkAbility teams are facing funding that expires at the end of May or the school year, and this is a powerful way to put those remaining dollars to work for students now and to provide valuable support going into the next school year.
- Something you can implement immediately
- Tools that don’t require a major rollout
- A practical way to support students before placement
This is worth a look!
See It in Action — In Just 30 Minutes
You’re busy. Your students need real support now. In one short session, you’ll see exactly how WhyTry plugs into your WorkAbility program to build responsibility, behavior, and workplace readiness — with tools you can use the very next day.
🗓️ Tuesday, May 5th at 10:00 AM Pacific
🗓️ Thursday, May 7th at 2:00 PM Pacific
You don’t need another program.
You need something that works in the moment when it matters most.
That’s what WhyTry was built for.