Turnaround for Children
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Turnaround for Children does
Turnaround for Children, now operating as the Center for Whole-Child Education within Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Pamela Cantor, M.D. The organization translates research from neuroscience, psychology, and education science into practical frameworks, tools, and professional development for K-12 schools serving students affected by adversity. Its core intellectual property centers on proprietary frameworks — the Building Blocks for Learning, the Whole-Child Design Blueprint, and a deep library of Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) papers — delivered through a free online Toolbox for Educators, fee-for-service Professional Learning Services embedded in partner schools, and a Whole-Child Education Microcredential offered through ASU's Educator Hub.
The business model is a hybrid of philanthropic grants and fee-for-service revenue. Philanthropic funding from foundations such as the Citi Foundation (Community Progress Makers, $500,000 in 2016), Robin Hood Foundation, Helmsley Trust, Stuart Foundation, and Walton Family Foundation supports operations, content development, and select statewide initiatives such as Project ARISE in California (Contra Costa County Office of Education-led). Fee-for-service revenue is generated through multi-year professional learning contracts with schools and districts, supplemented by the ASU microcredential channel. The go-to-market combines direct relationship-based district partnerships, event-driven thought leadership (The 180 Podcast, conference keynotes), and a community-led content funnel via the free Toolbox.
Since July 2023 the organization has been integrated into ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, gaining institutional scale (8,000+ students, hundreds of partner schools) and a planned further transition on July 1, 2026 into the Responsive Systems Design Lab. It serves primarily K-12 schools and districts, individual educators, and increasingly state and county education agencies, with a documented historical footprint of 100+ partner schools across New York City, Newark, Washington D.C., and California.
Turnaround for Children firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Turnaround for Children
- Legal name
- Turnaround For Children Inc.
- Website
- https://turnaroundusa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Turnaround for Children industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Turnaround for Children is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Turnaround for Children business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grants and Donations: As a nonprofit, Turnaround for Children / Center for Whole-Child Education relies primarily on philanthropic funding from foundations and individual donors. Examples include the Citi Foundation Community Progress Makers grant ($500,000 over two years) and general operating support grants.
- Professional Learning Services: Fee-for-service professional development, coaching, and consulting services delivered to schools and districts. These include educator professional development, whole-child design implementation support, and custom training engagements.
- Whole-Child Education Microcredential: A micro-credential program offered through ASU's Educator Hub, providing educators with recognized credentials in whole-child education approaches. This represents a revenue stream through tuition or program fees associated with the credential program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Toolbox Resources |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional Learning Services (Contract) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Turnaround for Children product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Turnaround for Children is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and districts to translate developmental and brain science into practical whole-child education practices, providing free digital tools, fee-for-service professional learning, and credentialing programs for educators serving students exposed to adversity.
Product overview
Turnaround for Children (now the Center for Whole-Child Education at ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College) is an educational nonprofit that offers a portfolio of products and services centered on whole-child education. The core offerings include the Toolbox for Educators (providing free self-assessment tools, lesson planning guidance, and student surveys), the Building Blocks for Learning Framework, and the Whole-Child Design Blueprint. These are complemented by Professional Learning Services for educator training and the Whole-Child Education Microcredential (offered through ASU). The organization also produces The 180 Podcast, Science of Learning and Development research papers, and Coherence Reports. Their Project ARISE partnership focuses on literacy acceleration in California. This is not a software platform but rather a resource and professional development organization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Toolbox for Educators
Quantifiable outcome
- Partnered with over 100 schools since founding in 2002
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Turnaround for Children
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Turnaround for Children technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Turnaround for Children partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE)coreCCCOE organizes and leads Project ARISE (Accelerating Reading Intervention for Systemic Excellence), a statewide initiative to transform literacy instruction across California. The Center for Whole-Child Education serves as a key partner contributing expertise in whole-child design and the science of learning and development to support educators statewide.
- San Diego County Office of EducationflagshipPartner in the Project ARISE consortium led by Contra Costa County Office of Education, contributing to the statewide K-12 professional learning initiative in California focused on evidence-based literacy instruction and whole-child approaches.
- Glenn County Office of EducationflagshipPartner in the Project ARISE consortium led by Contra Costa County Office of Education, contributing to the statewide K-12 professional learning initiative in California.
- University of La VerneflagshipUniversity partner in the Project ARISE consortium, bringing academic expertise to the statewide K-12 professional learning initiative focused on evidence-based literacy instruction in California.
- University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)flagshipUniversity partner in the Project ARISE consortium, contributing research and academic expertise to the statewide K-12 professional learning initiative in California.
- American Institutes for Research (AIR) - National Center on Intensive InterventionflagshipPartner in the Project ARISE consortium through AIR's National Center on Intensive Intervention, contributing expertise in intensive literacy interventions and evidence-based instruction to the California statewide initiative.
- TNTPflagshipPartner in the Project ARISE consortium, contributing expertise in teacher talent and literacy instruction to the California statewide professional learning initiative grounded in whole-child education approaches.
- Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers CollegecoreAs of July 2023, Turnaround for Children became the Center for Whole-Child Education within ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. This transformative integration positions the organization within one of the highest-ranked colleges of education in the U.S. (ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report in education research expenditures), enabling greater impact, scalability, and sustainability. MLFTC enrolls over 8,000 students and partners with hundreds of schools and organizations worldwide.
- Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE)minorPart of the innovation ecosystem at ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College alongside the Center for Whole-Child Education. CRPE focuses on reinventing public education through research and policy.
- Next Education Workforce InitiativeminorPart of the innovation ecosystem at ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College alongside the Center for Whole-Child Education, focused on reimagining the education workforce.
- Attendance WorksminorNational organization focused on improving student attendance. Turnaround founder Pamela Cantor, M.D. presented at an Attendance Works webinar, and the organizations share a focus on addressing systemic barriers to student success.
- NewselaminorTurnaround partnered with Newsela for a webinar on safety, belonging, and learning, combining Newsela's content platform with Turnaround's science of learning and development expertise.
- U.S. Department of EducationminorPamela Cantor, M.D. spoke at the U.S. Department of Education's 'YOU Belong in STEM' Conference, representing Turnaround's role in informing federal education policy and practice.
- Learning Policy InstituteminorTurnaround participates in webinars and events with the Learning Policy Institute, a research organization focused on education policy and systems change. Linda Darling-Hammond serves as President of both LPI and the California State Board of Education.
- National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS)minorTurnaround for Children joined NPSS as a Supporting Partner, contributing to the national initiative aimed at enhancing student outcomes through expanded support.
- 4-HminorTurnaround participated in the 4-H Positive Youth Development Academy focused on youth mental health, contributing science of learning and development expertise to the youth development organization.
- New Classrooms and TranscendminorPamela Cantor, M.D. spoke at 'Out of the Box' hosted by New Classrooms and Transcend, organizations focused on education innovation and reimagining learning environments.
- SoLD AllianceminorTurnaround signed on to the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) Alliance's COVID recovery letter, aligning with a network of organizations applying SoLD science to post-pandemic education recovery.
- Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)minorPamela Cantor, M.D. spoke at MCEC's Global Summit, contributing whole-child and science of learning expertise to the organization serving military-connected children.
- Forum for Youth InvestmentminorKaren Pittman, Co-Founder and President of the Forum for Youth Investment, appeared on The 180 Podcast. The Forum focuses on connecting systems and supporting youth development, aligning with Turnaround's whole-child approach.
- Spencer FoundationminorNa'ilah Suad Nasir, President of the Spencer Foundation (education research funder), appeared on The 180 Podcast, representing a connection with a major education research funding organization.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Turnaround for Children competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WestEd: WestEd is one of the largest U.S. education research and service nonprofits, providing districts with research, evaluation, and capacity-building services. Its broader portfolio covers many of the same areas Turnaround addresses, but at much larger scale and across more domains.
- Jobs for the Future: JFF works on education and economic mobility, including K-12 pathways and systems change. It addresses similar educator and system capacity issues at a larger scale and broader scope, with overlapping funder networks.
- American Institutes for Research (AIR): AIR is a major behavioral and social science research organization with significant K-12 work, including the National Center on Intensive Intervention (a Turnaround Project ARISE partner). It competes for similar district, state, and federal contracts and policy influence.
Direct peers
- Big Picture Learning: Big Picture Learning supports a national network of schools redesigned around deeper learning, student interests, and real-world experiences. Comparable K-12 school transformation focus and partnership-driven growth model.
- Learning Policy Institute: LPI conducts education research and policy analysis that informs state and federal whole-child policy, including Linda Darling-Hammond's work. Both LPI and Turnaround translate developmental and learning science into recommendations for K-12 systems and policymakers.
- Committee for Children: Committee for Children develops SEL curricula and resources used widely in K-12 classrooms, including Second Step. It overlaps with Turnaround on whole-child content delivery to schools, though it is more curriculum-product oriented while Turnaround is more advisory/embedded.
- TNTP: TNTP partners with school districts on teacher recruitment, development, and school improvement, including instructional coaching and capacity building. Comparable to Turnaround's embedded interdisciplinary team model for whole-school transformation and educator professional development.
- CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning): CASEL is the field's leading SEL framework organization, advancing district-level SEL adoption and educator capacity building. It is the closest direct peer to Turnaround, both translating developmental science into school-system practice, with CASEL focused on the SEL framework and Turnaround on the broader whole-child/neuroscience frame.
- National Equity Project: National Equity Project partners with schools and districts on leadership development, equitable practices, and student-centered transformation, particularly in underserved communities. Comparable target population and capacity-building model to Turnaround's whole-child work.
- NewSchools Venture Fund: NewSchools funds and supports innovative K-12 schools and ventures, particularly in underserved communities. Operates in adjacent philanthropic and education-innovation networks and shares Turnaround's mission of whole-child school transformation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Turnaround for Children social profiles
Digital presenceTurnaround for Children financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Turnaround for Children leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Turnaround for Children funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Turnaround for Children M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Turnaround for Children
What does Turnaround for Children do?
Turnaround for Children is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and districts to translate developmental and brain science into practical whole-child education practices, providing free digital tools, fee-for-service professional learning, and credentialing programs for educators serving students exposed to adversity.
Is Turnaround for Children a public or private company?
Turnaround for Children is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Turnaround for Children founded?
Turnaround for Children was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Turnaround for Children based?
Turnaround for Children is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Turnaround for Children make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are professional Learning Services and whole-Child Education Microcredential.
Who are Turnaround for Children's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WestEd, Jobs for the Future and American Institutes for Research (AIR). Direct peers are Big Picture Learning, Learning Policy Institute, Committee for Children, TNTP, CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), National Equity Project and NewSchools Venture Fund.
Does Turnaround for Children have an API?
No public API is recorded for Turnaround for Children.
What industry is Turnaround for Children in?
Turnaround for Children's product category is K-12 Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAEAJ, Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.