Partnering with Community Schools
Every community school is built on the belief that when we meet the needs of the whole child, students can thrive.
The WhyTry Program is the perfect partner in that mission. For over 20 years, we’ve helped schools remove barriers to learning, strengthen relationships, and equip students with the resilience skills they need for life. Our flexible curriculum, engaging visual tools, and professional development give educators and families practical ways to address the root issues each pillar of the community school model is designed to solve. With WhyTry, administrators don’t just check the box on compliance—they gain a proven framework to bring the four pillars to life and create lasting change for students, families, and the entire school community.
WhyTry Strengthens the Four Pillars of Community Schools
1. Integrated Student Supports
Addressing barriers to learning like trauma, stress, or mental health challenges.
WhyTry equips educators and mental health professionals with trauma-informed, resilience-building strategies that help students regulate emotions, make positive choices, and develop coping skills. Our visual metaphors, engaging activities, and counseling tools turn complex life skills into concepts students can remember and apply. This means schools can meet the emotional and behavioral needs of students while reducing crises and improving outcomes.
2. Expanded and Enriched Learning Time
Ensuring students have meaningful opportunities to learn and grow beyond the classroom.
WhyTry lessons and activities are flexible, engaging, and easy to integrate into after-school, summer, or enrichment programs. With units focused on decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience, schools can provide students with experiences that build both academic and life readiness. These hands-on lessons don’t just fill time—they spark motivation, curiosity, and a vision for the future.
3. Active Family and Community Engagement
Building strong connections between schools, families, and community organizations.
WhyTry offers tools like the Parent Guide to Resilience, which helps caregivers bring resilience-building practices into the home. Our approach also supports school–community partnerships by giving social workers, counselors, and community agencies a shared language for resilience and connection. This ensures families feel empowered and involved, and students see consistent support across school and home.
4. Collaborative Leadership and Practices
Creating a culture where educators, families, and community partners share responsibility for student success.
WhyTry provides training and ongoing coaching for teachers, counselors, and administrators, helping them build the relationships and relevance needed to engage every student. Our turnkey resources save educators time, while fostering collaboration across MTSS, PBIS, counseling, and social work teams. The result: a school-wide culture of resilience where leadership is shared, and everyone is working together toward student success.
In short:
The WhyTry Program doesn’t just “fit” into community schools—it strengthens each of the four pillars, helping schools tackle the underlying challenges of resilience, motivation, and human connection.
Ready to see how WhyTry can strengthen your Community School?
Partner with us to bring resilience, motivation, and connection to every student. Schedule a free demo with a program director today and explore how WhyTry can support your four pillars of success.
Why Choose The WhyTry Program?
Proven Experience
With over 20 years of success, we understand the challenges teachers and counselors face. We have practical interventions and strategies that work.
Engaging Interventions
Our toolkit gets students excited about learning and improves behavior. Teachers and counselors who use WhyTry often say they rediscover the joy of education!
Enhanced Teamwork
Our approach provides a common language and framework for staff and administrators, enabling your entire team to collaborate and communicate better.
Ashley Wright
“When you can see the purpose of each WhyTry lesson and use the attention grabbers, music, and metaphors to reach the kids with targeted interventions, WhyTry can help you achieve your goals. We saw a significant decrease in the number of referrals.”
Katelynn Flynn
“I have to say, the hands-on activities were perfect in portraying the message, and we had so many great discussions as a result. In fact, we saw a measurable change with our group. Our students made much better decisions going forward.”
Beth Foster
I’m a teacher at heart, and having WhyTry in my toolkit gives me the flexibility to introduce main parts of the program in my guidance classes, and then I can pull in more content as the kids progress through different grades. It works seamlessly for me.”