Logo for “Foundations for Thriving” with a teal and green tree-root design and the words “Grow, Connect, Succeed”

Helping Students Thrive, Persist, and Graduate

A research-informed student success and retention curriculum designed to strengthen belonging, resilience, mental health, agency, and purpose among today's college students.

Today's students face unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness, and uncertainty. Foundations for Thriving helps institutions address the emotional and developmental factors that influence persistence, engagement, and long-term success.

THE CHALLENGE

Today's Students Need More Than Study Skills

Many colleges and universities are seeing increases in:

  • Student anxiety and stress
  • Loneliness and lack of belonging
  • Emotional overwhelm
  • Academic disengagement
  • Help-seeking avoidance
  • First-year attrition



Students often know what they should do academically.

The challenge is that many struggle to consistently do it because they lack the emotional, relational, and developmental capacities necessary to navigate the demands of college life.

Key Statistic Callouts

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76% of students report moderate to high stress.

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39% report loneliness.

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1 in 3 students have considered leaving college.

WHY FOUNDATIONS FOR THRIVING IS DIFFERENT

More Than a Student Success Course

Many student success programs focus on:

  •  Time management
  • Study skills
  • Goal setting
  • Academic success strategies

These skills matter.

But today's students need more.

Foundations for Thriving addresses the human side of student success.

We Help Students Develop

  • Belonging
  • Resilience
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Agency
  • Purpose
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Self-Leadership
  • Help-Seeking Behaviors

Important Statements to include here:

Most student success programs teach students what to do.

Foundations for Thriving helps students develop the capacities necessary to actually do it.

THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THRIVING MODEL

The Five Predictors of Persistence

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BELONGING

Do I matter here?


Helping students build meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and campus communities.
Woman sits on sofa, leaning forward and talking in a bright living room with sheer curtains.

MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Can I handle this?


Developing emotional awareness, coping skills, and help-seeking behaviors.
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RESILIENCE

Can I recover from setbacks?


Teaching students how to adapt, persevere, and grow through challenge.
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AGENCY & SELF-LEADERSHIP

Can I influence my future?


Building responsibility, confidence, ownership, and self-efficacy.
Two women talking in a bright counseling office, one taking notes while the other gestures.

DESIGNED FOR THE POST-COVID STUDENT

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A New Generation Requires a New Approach

Many of today's students experienced the COVID-19 pandemic during critical developmental years.


As a result, institutions are seeing students who may be academically capable but struggling with:


  • Social connection
  • Emotional regulation
  • Confidence
  • Resilience
  • Identity development
  • Purpose and direction


Foundations for Thriving was intentionally designed to address these developmental gaps.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

16 Weeks. Five Developmental Domains.

Unit 1: Belonging

Unit 2: Mental Health & Help-Seeking

Unit 3: Resilience & Growth

Unit 4: Agency & Self-Leadership

Unit 5: Purpose & Future Vision

Student Outcomes

Students learn how to:

  • Build meaningful relationships
  • Manage stress and anxiety
  • Develop resilience
  • Access support services
  • Improve communication skills
  • Create healthy habits
  • Clarify values and goals
  • Develop a personal thriving plan

BENEFITS FOR YOUR INSTITUTION

Institutional Benefits

  •  Improved student engagement
  • Increased help-seeking behaviors
  • Enhanced sense of belonging
  • Greater resilience and coping skills
  • Improved persistence and retention
  • Stronger campus culture
  • Supports student wellness initiatives
  • Complements existing student success efforts

"Retention is not simply about keeping students enrolled.


It is about helping students build lives worth staying engaged in".

Flexible Implementation Models

Faculty-Led First-Year Seminar

Student Success Course

Learning Community

Residence Life Program

Hybrid Delivery

Online Course

Train-the-Trainer Model

Institutional Licensing

Meet the Founders

Together, that combination is incredibly powerful because it brings both sides of the equation:

David: counseling, wellness, resilience, identity development, belonging

Valerie: retention, advising, student success systems, higher education implementation

That partnership gives Foundations for Thriving credibility with both Student Affairs and Academic Affairs leaders.

Contact us
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Let's Help Students Thrive

Schedule a conversation to explore how Foundations for Thriving can support your institution's student success, wellness, and retention goals.