We respect and relate to students because we were once in their shoes.

Students are spending an average 8.3 hours each day on their screens, according to Common Sense Media, and social media and technology have become some of the greatest influences on students’ health, happiness, and future success — whether or not they own a device. 

Our Founder Laura Tierney received a phone at age 13, and since then, was lectured by adults on how devices will destroy our generation, tarnish our reputations, and damage our mental health. Laura recalls how, while in high school, and later on as a student-athlete at Duke University and Team USA, adults would harp on the Don’ts: Don’t text this, don’t share that, don’t join that app, and don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see. 

Laura flipped the script when she went on to use technology to land three out of her four jobs, follow positive role models, stay in touch with friends across the world, and more. She found ways to navigate technology to fuel her health, happiness, and future success and she admired when students would do the same: Surrounding themselves with positive influencers, play to their core values, handle the pressure, lift up others, use technology to create positive change in the world, and more.

After 10 years of working in social media for ESPN and other global brands, Laura began huddling with students across the country who saw the positives of technology but could relate to this feeling of lectured by adults. Together, combining this unique insight from students and digital experts nationwide, our team The Social Institute soon launched a gamified, best-in-class curriculum that takes a positive, proactive approach that students embrace and adults respect. 

Rather than focusing on the negatives, we elevate the positives.

Rather than scare and restrict, we empower and equip. 

Rather than harping on what not to do, we coach students on what to do and how. 

Rather than adults designing kid-ish lessons, students snicker-test everything we create.

As a team of digital natives and unshakable optimists, we strive to create best-in-class social-emotional lessons that meet students on their level. Our gamified platform, called #WinAtSocial, now inspires and engages thousands of students across the country every school year. And we’re just getting started. 

Ready to #WinAtSocial?

Team up with us.