Community reviews for Wayfinder

I have taught the same lesson from Wayfinder and Second Step and have had far better experiences and learning outcomes with the Wayfinder lessons. In the ten years I’ve taught Second Step, I have never had students refer back to a lesson. In the one year I’ve used Wayfinder, I’ve had students refer back to or request to hear or see something again from the lessons on several occasions. The slide decks that are already created for you (and editable) are masterfully done and they don’t look like a whack cartoon trying to convince you bullying is wrong. It’s strange to think other SEL curricula think our students need cheesy graphics to understand purpose, caring for others, and developing relationship skills. Wayfinder teaches to what’s actually relevant and developmentally appropriate for students at every level, and it’s based on real research. Our students’ overall wellbeing matters. Using second-rate curricula to teach SEL skills says that it doesn’t. Our kids deserve more.

I believe Wayfinder is what all K12 schools should evolve towards to meet this moment in education. Every mission statement proclaims that we are aiming to prepare students to contribute to a global society, Wayfinder is the tool to make such statements a reality!

I love that Wayfinder's middle school curriculum is specifically tailored to middle school students. It doesn't make them feel as if they're being talked down to or that they're having to jump to topics they aren't quite ready for yet. The Wayfinder team is incredible! They take feedback and use it to improve the curriculum, but are also a great support whenever it is needed.

My favorite Wayfinder feature is the activity library, where I have been in a pinch and have needed an activity and can just search by theme. I have entered search terms like respect, integrity, goals, cyberbullying, fairness, etc., and it produces a number of teaching options listed by suggested age/grade. This has been a lifesaver more than once for me! There are also sets of lessons bundled by theme, ready made for any counselor or teacher. Our middle schoolers especially love the workbooks where they can do guided journaling, as well.

As a teaching tool, this resource is unique. The organization of lessons, activities and additional resources serves a wide range of teachers and their experience. We have first year health teachers that use the lessons in the "Belonging" scope and sequence as they are written without modification because they are confident it addresses our new Oregon Health standards. We also have seasoned, veteran teachers that can modify the given lessons and incorporate activities to compliment lessons they have already created. In addition to the core lessons and activities, Wayfinder has included a "Collections" section that organizes lessons and activities around a variety of topics including but not limited to, Future Ready Skills, Restorative Practices, Executive Functioning, Community Building and Social Media. Finally, it should be mentioned that the customer service is exceptional. As mentioned coming out of Covid was a difficult time and although teachers found this resource useful it did not immediately get used universally. We really appreciated the patient and persistent way, their support teams worked with our teachers and administration through zoom, site visits and trainings to help us implement this resource most effectively.

To be fully transparent, Wayfinder was not initially on our radar as a potential Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. However, they reached out, offering to send three representatives to run an activity with our SEL team and address any questions we had. Following this meeting, it became evident that Wayfinder was the ideal fit for our needs. It seamlessly aligned with the tenets of our academic curriculum and complemented the restorative practices integral to our district. Initially, we faced challenges with the bilingual components, and while improvements have been made, further fine-tuning is still desired. Currently, the videos are dubbed, and we express a preference for them to be available in multiple languages to accommodate our highly diverse district. We are also in the early stages of navigating the data component, Waypoints, and although feedback is limited at this point, we are eager to leverage it district-wide. One notable aspect is that the assessment piece does not currently track down to kindergarten through 2nd grade, a feature we hope to see expanded to gather comprehensive data for the entire district. The simplicity and visual appeal of Wayfinder were significant draws. The aesthetics of the journals, platform, lessons, and activities were pleasing. Furthermore, the curriculum aligns well with the CASEL competencies and introduces a crucial purpose component that we find essential for our secondary students. It was not just the material but also the collaborative support from the Wayfinder team that stood out. They actively engaged with our feedback, offered professional development tailored to our district, and seamlessly integrated Wayfinder into our core values and beliefs. This holistic approach set Wayfinder apart, making it more than just an SEL curriculum but a valued partner in our educational journey.

I host a microschool for 12 homeschoolers in Metro Atlanta. Each Wednesday morning we begin the day with a SEL lesson from Wayfinder. What I have absolutely loved is that the prep. time is short, there are lots of lessons that get the children moving, and you don't have to use a fixed curriculum pacing. You can truly personalize your sequence to your community needs.

Out of the many SEL resources I’ve worked with - WAYFINDER goes above and beyond in being an authentic resource for social emotional learning . It’s dialogue- based model has the foundational co-generative pedagogy that is needed in constructing conversations around identity or healthy relationships in a way all students feel are relevant and meaningful. Better yet - by having students engage in joy and discussion , they are able to create communities where social emotional learning thrives in a culturally responsive way as opposed to many of the “sit and get” or deficit coded curriculums out there. This resources honors our students … ALL OF THEM… come with knowledge and skills that should be affirmed. My feedback would be to give more direction on differentiating materials from core curriculum for teachers reaching students with neurodiverse needs . Additionally explicit connections to supports for multilingual learners (or materials in Spanish for dual language programs) could be expanded upon.

I would strongly recommend Wayfinder for an explicit social and emotional learning curriculum. Wayfinder is client and student centered. They want to see their program be successful and for students to thrive in their educational settings. They are true partners with districts.

Wayfinder has been a transformative curriculum for my students. The following students comments are representative of most students experience with Wayfinder, “This class gave me an opportunity to examine what actually matters to me and how I can make that relevant and purposeful in my life. No other class I’ve taken has provided me with that experience.” Another student captured their experience with this reflection, “Project Wayfinder allowed me to slow down and reflect on my own accomplishments, ambitions and intrinsic motivations. By writing everything down and analyzing my experiences and life values, I have found what it is to be present, to create meaningful goals and seek purpose in all that I set out to do.”