EmpowerU’s proven approach to social-emotional learning helps students replace anxiety and depression with resilience and confidence. As active participants in their wellness journey, students complete engaging, online lessons that are supported by daily 1:1 motivational coaching. This powerful combination fuels improved wellbeing, school attendance, and grades. EmpowerU offers site-based licenses to schools and colleges, as well as access to the credit-bearing course through third-party online schools or direct from the company.

Formats/platforms used:

Web-based application built on Amazon Web Services. Accessible from desktop, tablet or smart phone. What is your primary website’s URL? https://empoweru.education

Problem solved:

One in three students struggle with social-emotional barriers that make it difficult for them to focus and learn. Schools often don’t have enough time or resources to provide the daily support these struggling students need to re-engage and thrive. They  partner with schools and colleges to provide the daily structure and support that is proven to help improve social-emotional wellbeing, grades, attendance, and the need for more costly interventions.

Grade/age range:

Middle. High School. Higher Ed Versions plus Professional Development for K12

Product address core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development?

EmpowerU offers a transitions program version for ages 18-21 in transition, as well as a professional development resilience and mental health support training. They also work well in credit recovery and ALC environments.

Standards:

CASEL standards, ASCA standards as well as aligned to National Health and Wellness standards so it can offer discretionary credit when used as an intervention.

Lesson time needed:

The course is self-paced and designed to create a time and place each day for students to focus 15-20 minutes on their personal growth and social-emotional resilience. At a pace of one lesson per school day, the course can be completed in 12 -14 weeks. Some students on block or quarter systems complete 2 lessons per day in an 8-week period.

Pricing model:

Schools purchase annual student enrollments via a site license contract with EmpowerU. Prices vary based upon the level of intervention (Tier 1 or Tier 2) as well as the number of student seats purchased.

What makes EmpowerU unique?

EmpowerU is a data-driven, Tier 2 SEL intervention that provides vital support to students to avoid higher-level and more costly interventions. Because the course focuses on progress, not problems, They are able to effectively empower students to actively engage in setting goals they want to work on throughout the course. With daily coaching support, students successfully apply course concepts to the issues and barriers in their lives. As a result, our outcomes show that students make significant growth pre-to-post intervention, measured by Prochaska and DiClemente’s Transtheoretical Model of change. More than 94 percent of students make significant progress not just in social and emotional wellbeing, but also in personal wellness and academic motivation.

Characteristics:

EmpowerU has an engaging and joyful user interface that is easy to access and navigate for students. Each lesson uses video, giphy and relevant examples to engage students. The Buda (Understanding by Design) framework establishes and communicates essential learning and outcomes by lesson.

Students are sent daily reminders with links to the next lesson (via text or email) and can immediately click on link to pick up where they left off in the course. Once students complete a daily lesson, their EmpowerU coach is notified through the portal that a lesson is complete. The coach checks in and responds to the student, providing feedback, encouragement, and personalized support through the portal. Students receives this timely feedback not only in the EmpowerU portal, but also via school email where they can dialogue with their EmpowerU coach daily. Students receive about 5 minutes of personalized coaching support each day in addition to daily lessons.

Here's what users are saying:

“I cannot emphasize enough how much I believe in the concepts taught in EmpowerU –all students need this! And because the course is supported by EmpowerU’s daily coaching, my students are engaging with the material and are actually applying the important concepts they learn to their life and making positive change.”

--Kayla Pederson, Lead School Counselor, South Washington County Public Schools, Minnesota.

“EmpowerU doesn’t just focus on student’s problems, it gives them tools to engage in the process of self-improvement and equips them to overcome social-emotional obstacles – now and in their future – which impacts overall engagement and learning”

--Bill Glenz, Principal, Minnesota Virtual Online

“I knew that my students would benefit from the concepts taught in EmpowerU, but I never imagined that the daily support students receive would spill over in a positive way to my relationships with my students. Because EmpowerU partners so closely with schools, I was able to connect more deeply with my hard to reach students.”

--Lindsay Miller, School Counselor, Wolf Creek Charter School