Challenge Success

Our work is guided by a powerhouse team serving as our Board of Directors, and we're excited to have welcomed a few new members! Bringing a wide variety of expertise in education reform, fundraising and advancement, teen mental health, equity and belonging, and more, we're grateful for their time and support in ensuring we serve your schools to the best of our ability. Please welcome Jeannette Schar, Dr. Rebecca Sacerdoti, Mary Rose Fernandez, and Anupam Mishra to the Challenge Success Board of Directors! 📚

One of our greatest assets is our powerful team of School Partnership Coaches, and we're thrilled to welcome a few new experts to our team! 🎉 From equity-centered student engagement policies to innovative approaches for belonging and well-being, our coaches are passionate about using their years of expertise to help your team transform your student experience through research and evidence-based strategies. 📈 Please join us in welcoming Brandon Wiley, Ed.D., ChèRee Wiley, M.A, M.A.T, M.F.A, M.Ed, Jeff Lippman, and Rebecca Rodriguez to Challenge Success! 📚

Achievement is incredible! It drives progress in our lives and communities. However, ten years ago, I realized the danger of glorifying achievement to the point where it became a habitual stress response. The joy of celebrating accomplishments was overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of “what’s next?” Teens began to wear their suffering as a badge of honor, and adults hit burnout walls striving for the next level. This led to blurred identities, strained relationships, and widespread exhaustion. I discovered Challenge Success, an organization that rethinks our approach to education, when I was still in education. Their mission and message were the starting point to my work with PEQ Performance Consulting LLC today. They use research-based and equity-focused strategies to amplify student voices and transform schools into places of well-being, belonging, and engagement. I became, and continue to be, an instant advocate. On Tuesday, I had the profound honor of meeting Denise Pope, co-founder of Challenge Success. Her team’s courage to challenge the status quo and involve students as co-designers of their learning experiences has made a global impact. I am thrilled to share her story and the vision of Challenge Success in the upcoming December issue of AwareNow Media. The principles of Challenge Success are not just for schools—they also provide a reminder in corporate environments too. By prioritizing well-being, fostering a sense of belonging, and engaging employees meaningfully, places of learning and working can create sustainable success and prevent burnout, allowing us to return to the celebration of achievement again! #ChallengeSuccess #SustainableAchievement #positiveintelligence

As parents, we naturally focus on supporting our kids' growth through school, sports, friendships, and a host of activities. But in order to teach our kids self-care skills, we must also carve out time for what the nonprofit Challenge Success calls "PDF," playtime, downtime, and family time.    How do you protect downtime in your house?

Had a blast with Megan Pacheco , Emily Segada & Matthew Swenson at the 8th Annual Wellness Together Conference! Thank you team for your love & inspiration throughout the week! 🤟🏽 Also special shout out to Caitlin Ciannella for your remote support! And to Sylvia S., Jennifer Garrison Tripp , Matt Flores , Vern Hazard , Meghan Joseph , Britney Stone, LMFT, Gillian Flowers , and so many other incredible educators and advocates I had the pleasure of spending time with throughout the conference! ✨

What does #MentalHealth mean for students? We asked some high schoolers during our Back to School Bus Tour last month - here's what they said. #WorldMentalHealthDay

Connect with your Feelings Monster for World Mental Health Day! 💙 Microsoft Reflect offers brain breaks, reflections, and more to help prioritize social emotional learning in your classroom.

Our team is so excited for the final day of the Wellness Together Student Mental Health Conference! Find us in the exhibit hall or attend Megan Pacheco and Kimberly Tsai Cawkwell session at 1:45 p.m. in Room 209B. 💓

Please join us in celebrating a few new faces who joined our team recently! 🎉 Each of their roles are new positions that are designed to further advance our work with you and your school community by increasing access, enhancing support, and fostering multi-level collaboration. 🧩 Whether you'll interact with them through our events, survey data, or partnership conversations, we think you'll be in great hands with them. 🤝 Welcome to Challenge Success Emily Segada, Ryan Fuller, and Matthew Swenson! 📚

We are thrilled to have former Student Advisory Council member, Emma Liu joining Kimberly Tsai Cawkwell for our fall Well-Balanced Child webinar! Check out the event details below if you work with or care for preschool-2nd grade kiddos.