Fulfilling an Educator’s Wishlist

Posted On: March 31, 2025

Imagine a classroom where students, already struggling, faced eight teacher changes in six months, and where proficiency scores plummeted. This was the reality for 26 third graders in St. Louis, a challenge compounded by the disruptions of the pandemic. But amidst this adversity, one retired educator, Shelia Nicholson, held onto an unwavering hope: BrainWise.

For fifteen years, Shelia believed in the transformative power of BrainWise, a program designed to teach critical thinking and executive function skills. Despite facing countless obstacles—funding shortfalls, faculty turnover, and the chaos of COVID—her belief never wavered. Now, in her retirement, she’s fighting harder than ever to bring BrainWise to the students who need it most.

In our latest newsletter, we share the incredible story of Shelia’s determination. Faced with a classroom where students were over a year behind grade level, with only 13% math and 16% reading proficiency, she knew something had to change. Her solution? A grant to bring BrainWise to these struggling learners.

In this article, you’ll see the real picture of what these students were facing – a school year with significant disruptions and academic setbacks, showing the clear need for support and Shelia’s practical plan on how she secured funding, organized the necessary training, and developed a solid strategy to implement BrainWise.

Shelia’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the profound impact of BrainWise. Her commitment to helping children become “lifelong learners and productive citizens” is a beacon of hope.

Don’t miss this wonderful story. Click here to read the full article and see Sheila’s  transformative in action.

Read the full article here https://conta.cc/4kQFVd2

 

Please follow and like us:

Preparing Native American Youth for Success: Rotary, Knight Moves, and BrainWise

Linc Kroeger, the founder of a company called Knight Moves, developed a 36-month hybrid technical training program designed to help high school Native American youth transition from the classroom to well-paying remote jobs in their communities. Because he agrees with Google and Microsoft leaders that teaching technical skills and social-emotional skills are equally important, he […]

Read More »

BrainWise Helps to Change Lives

Dr. Barry writes that her caseload as a public health nurse included victims of domestic violence, child abuse, families of individuals who died by suicide, and people with various treated and untreated mental health disorders. Home visits involved meeting with patients, parents, family members, caretakers, and contacting health professionals and ancillary support sources to help […]

Read More »

Houston PAL Officers Teach BrainWise

BrainWise Builds Trusting Relationships. Sergeant Letricia Brown and her team of police officers faced a challenge. In 2019, they were asked to relaunch the Greater Houston Police Department’s Police Activities League (PAL) and build trusting relationships between youth, law enforcement, and the community. She said, “We did not have much direction. We had nothing.” That […]

Read More »