We’re on a mission to fuel students’ health, happiness, and future success.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families with skills necessary to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, both online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways.
TSI was founded by Laura Tierney, a social media expert who learned as a student that empowering and equipping people to make high-character choices can lead to positive, life-changing experiences. Before founding TSI, Laura worked with K-12 students through leadership programs at Duke University and espnW; she previously managed social media for espnW, Nike, Disney, P&G, and Duke Men’s Basketball. A lifelong student-athlete, Laura is a four-time Duke All-American Athlete, two-time team captain, and Duke Athlete of the Decade. She also played for Team USA.
Building on our founder’s experience and unique perspective on students and technology, TSI follows a student-respected approach to empower and equip, rather than scare and restrict. We incorporate timely, trending topics from social media and tech use to current events impacting student well-being and learning. Our #WinAtSocial Lessons are co-created with students – and snicker-tested – to ensure that lesson materials are respected and embraced by students and meet them where they are. Student voice is an essential component of our work, and we celebrate student perspectives and highlight student insights throughout our work with schools.
#WinAtSocial has been featured in The Washington Post, NAIS Magazine, NBC News Daily, The New York Times, ISTE, and applauded by Melinda Gates. We partner with K-12 schools of all types, from independent and faith-based to public and charter schools, such as Ravenscroft School, Greece Central School District, The Pegasus School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Dallas Christian School, Issaquah School District, and KIPP Public Charter Schools.
Let’s work together to inspire positive, high-character choices to #WinAtSocial.
Our unique evidence-based approach
With screen time and media consumption increasing, we believe that it’s essential for educators and families to huddle with students. #WinAtSocial combines family and teacher resources with student-respected, teacher-facilitated lessons that meet students on their level.
Students experience #WinAtSocial Lessons, including Trending Lessons, delivered through our gamified, peer-to-peer learning technology, designed for in-person or remote learning.
Lessons are flexible to fit your available time, at any time during the school day.
Our unique, evidence-based approach has proven to foster active classroom participation and impact positive learning and behavioral outcomes. Read more or contact us to find out if #WinAtSocial can help your community,
How The Social Institute empowers innovative schools to support their communities:
- #WinAtSocial Trending Lessons: Keep your school community up-to-date with timely, meet-the-moment lessons developed with students in real-time, designed to address trending topics and current events impacting learning and student well-being.
- #WinAtSocial Lessons: A turnkey, comprehensive scope and sequence of lessons for 3rd-12th grades that teach modern-day life skills and inspire positive decision-making.
- #WinAtSocial Insights: Real-time insights into how students are feeling, navigating common, yet challenging, social situations, and thinking about school culture to empower school leaders to make data-driven decisions.
- The Social Toolkit: Resources, like family conversation starters, that align with lesson topics and are easily shareable with families via email and expert summaries of how students are navigating the most popular apps and devices.
- Online and In-person Student, Parent, and Educator Presentations: Empower and equip students, families, and educators with custom presentations about common, relevant social media and tech topics, like navigating group chat drama and avoiding reputation-damaging posts.
Contact us to schedule a demo or learn about ways to team up with us.