PRESS RELEASE
New digital tool helps school districts track future-ready skills, expanding Wayfinder’s impact
BEND, Ore. – Wayfinder, the leading PreK-12 solution for preparing students for college, career, and life, is proud to announce the launch of its Portrait of a Graduate feature. This powerful tool helps districts do more with less—offering a seamless way to track and develop essential student skills without adding extra burden on staff. By aligning directly with existing career-readiness and MTSS frameworks, Wayfinder enables schools to continue delivering high-quality learning experiences even amid resource constraints. With full flexibility, districts can track progress toward their specific goals while seamlessly embedding Wayfinder into their graduation standards and competency models.
Unlike programs that treat career readiness and character development as separate tracks, Wayfinder blends them, ensuring students graduate not only academically prepared but with the confidence, adaptability, and purpose needed to thrive in any path they choose.
“Wayfinder has always been about giving students a sense of purpose in their learning and life. With our new feature, schools can seamlessly track and measure the skills that matter most for student success—aligning with existing career-readiness efforts while strengthening the bridge between school and life beyond graduation,” said Patrick Cook-Deegan, Founder and CEO of Wayfinder.
This new tool provides district and school leaders with real-time, customizable insights into student growth. While Wayfinder’s six Core Skills have always been trackable, the Portrait of a Graduate add-on enables schools to define and measure the competencies that align with their local priorities. With multi-level progress tracking—from district-wide trends to individual student growth—schools gain meaningful data without extra work for educators.
Developed through an extensive design thinking process, this feature was shaped by feedback from dozens of schools and districts nationwide, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of educational leaders working to prepare students for life beyond the classroom.
In addition to launching the Portrait of a Graduate feature, Wayfinder continues to expand its impact nationwide as more districts adopt its comprehensive PreK-12 curriculum and solutions. Recent district partnerships highlight the increasing demand for Wayfinder’s integrated approach to future-ready education.
Rockford Public Schools, IL —
Rockford Public Schools serves 30,000 students and is implementing Wayfinder’s comprehensive PreK-12 curriculum across all grade levels. Wayfinder is embedded into classroom instruction and counselor-led Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) efforts to ensure that students build essential skills. The district’s strategic plan emphasizes academic excellence, student wellness, social responsibility, and career readiness—and after evaluating more than ten different programs, the district chose Wayfinder for its flexibility, relevance, and ability to engage high school students in a meaningful way.
Reading School District, PA —
Reading School District has adopted Wayfinder across all school sites to support a district-wide commitment to relationship-building, differentiated behavioral and academic support, and a culture of belonging. Like Rockford, counselors are leading the implementation.
“We’re grateful to have a consistent curriculum that is relevant, engaging, and easy to use. The high-engagement lessons resonate with our students, and the built-in system allows us to measure both progress and impact—ensuring meaningful growth every step of the way,” said Leanne Eckenrode, the district’s Coordinator of Social Work Services.
Portland Public Schools, OR —
Portland has significantly expanded its partnership with Wayfinder, growing from 21 schools to 56 this year. After a rigorous field-testing phase, during which multiple programs were evaluated, the district gave schools the opportunity to select their preferred program—and the vast majority chose Wayfinder due to its highly engaging, easy-to-implement curriculum.
Douglas County School District, CO —
Colorado’s third largest district, the Douglas County School District (DCSD) serves approximately 62,000 students across 92 schools. The district partnered with Wayfinder in 35 schools to enhance bullying prevention efforts by providing research-backed, developmentally appropriate interventions that build empathy, resilience, and a positive school culture.
Douglas County’s initiative allowed schools to choose from various bullying prevention resources, and many selected Wayfinder for its comprehensive, whole-student approach to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments. This aligns with the district’s strategic priorities around academics, safety, and social, emotional, and physical well-being.
“Wayfinder’s flexibility in tailoring the resources to each school, grade level, and classroom was a key factor in our district’s decision to utilize this resource,” said Dr. Kelli Smith, the Director of Health, Wellness, and Prevention at Douglas County.
“Its focus on essential skills—self-awareness, adaptability, empathy, agency, collaboration, and purpose—ensures a cohesive approach to wellness across K-12. With a shared language, structured lessons, and data-driven insights, we can better support the diverse needs of our students. Additionally, Wayfinder’s unique ability to assign content at the district level, track implementation, and align with Colorado Comprehensive Health standards allows DCSD to continuously adapt and enhance learning experiences to meet our students' evolving needs.”
With an increased focus on preparing students for life beyond graduation—while navigating staffing and budget challenges—districts need measurable, scalable solutions. Wayfinder’s Portrait of a Graduate tool provides a research-backed, ready-to-use framework that supports both educators and students. Learn how districts nationwide are leveraging Wayfinder to streamline resources, reduce staff burden, and ensure student success. Schedule a personalized walkthrough today.
About Wayfinder
Wayfinder, founded at the Stanford d.school, helps schools prepare students for the future through innovative K-12 curriculum and products. For more information about Wayfinder and its impact on student learning, visit withwayfinder.com.
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