WAY

What WAY does

WAY (Widening Advancements for Youth) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity founded in 2009 and headquartered in Belleville, Michigan. The organization delivers personalized, project-based, and competency-based learning for students in grades 6-12, with a particular focus on learners who are behind in credits, have non-traditional schedules, are homeschooled, or have otherwise struggled in conventional high school settings. WAY operates directly-managed charter schools under sub-brands WAY Academy (blended) and WAY Michigan (online) plus WAY Academy of Flint, and runs partner programs in Howell, Watervliet, Niles, and Eau Claire that embed its curriculum and online teaching staff within local school districts.

The core technology stack is the Centric Learning Platform (centric.school), which delivers curriculum, grading, and collaboration space to students and teachers; WAY provides enrolled students a computer workstation and instructional materials at no cost. Curriculum is aligned to national and state standards and delivered through certified teacher-designed project-based courses, with a cross-curricular competency-based progression model. WAY holds institutional accreditation from Cognia (formerly AdvancEd), renewed in 2017 with a score of 318.7 against an average of 278.94 across reviewed systems, lending external validity to its diplomas. Operations extend across Michigan, Georgia, and Brazil.

The business model is built on public charter school funding and partnerships with local school districts. As a 501(c)(3), WAY does not charge tuition; revenue is generated through per-pupil public funding for students enrolled in its managed charter schools and through contracted service arrangements with district partners for curriculum and online teaching staff. Brand awareness is supported by the wayprogram.net website, Facebook and Twitter/X organic social channels, a "Why WAY Works" podcast, and a Zazzle storefront for branded merchandise. Leadership includes Executive Director Madeline Black, Superintendent Isaiah Pettway, Director of Charter Schools Trena Braswell, and Director of Finance Sherry Lynem, with a Board of Directors chaired by Dave Strudwick.

Name

WAY

Legal name

Widening Advancements for Youth

Website

https://wayprogram.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WAY (Widening Advancements for Youth) is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers personalized, project-based, and competency-based learning for grades 6-12 through managed charter schools and school district partnerships, using the Centric Learning Platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Residential Special Education Programs (EDAKAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)

Keywords

• Alternative education programs
• Project-based learning
• Charter school management
• Competency-based curriculum
• Online learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Belleville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit Public Charity organization managing public charter schools, WAY receives public funding through charter school arrangements with state and local education authorities. WAY manages blended public charter schools for grades 6-12 and an online public charter school serving Michigan.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WAY is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity that operates public charter schools (WAY Academy, WAY Michigan) and partners with local school districts to deliver personalized, project-based, and competency-based learning for students in grades 6-12. The organization provides curriculum, online teaching staff, free computer workstations, and instructional materials at no cost to enrolled students.

Product overview

WAY (Widening Advancements for Youth) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization offering a unified portfolio of personalized learning programs. The core offering consists of the WAY Program model, which partners with school districts to provide project-based and competency-based learning experiences. WAY manages two charter school sub-brands: WAY Academy (blended charter schools for grades 6-12) and WAY Michigan (online charter school for grades 6-12). The curriculum is delivered through the Centric Learning Platform. WAY operates multiple school locations across Michigan including Livingston, Watervliet, Niles, and Eau Claire, as well as WAY Academy of Flint.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WAY Program Core educational program where WAY partners with local school districts to deliver personalized, project-based, and competency-based learning experiences for students in grades 6-12. Includes curriculum, certified teaching staff, and free computer workstations.
• WAY Academy Blended public charter school sub-brand managed by WAY for grades 6-12, combining in-person instruction at physical school locations with online learning components.
• WAY Michigan Online public charter school sub-brand managed by WAY for grades 6-12, serving students statewide across Michigan.
• Centric Learning Platform Online platform used to deliver curriculum, grading, and collaboration space for students, parents, and teachers. WAY also provides this platform to partner schools.
• WAY Academy of Flint Charter school location in Flint, Michigan serving grades 6-12.

Quantifiable outcome

• Strong accreditation score of 318.7 (above average 278.94) in AdvancEd review
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CentriccoreTechnology or IntegrationCentric is the online platform used by WAY to deliver curriculum, grading, and collaboration space. Students and parents access the curriculum and grading through Centric (centric.school). WAY provides this platform to partner schools.
• Michigan School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAY partners with local school districts across Michigan to offer the WAY program. Districts include Livingston ESA, Watervliet Public Schools, Niles Community Schools, Eau Claire Public Schools, and others. WAY provides curriculum and online teaching staff.
• Cognia (formerly AdvancEd)coreOthersCognia is the global accrediting body for WAY. WAY is nationally accredited by Cognia, which represents 32,000+ schools worldwide. This accreditation ensures graduates can benefit from graduating from an accredited high school.
• ASPCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAY Watervliet students partnered with ASPCA to create warming packs for stray cat shelter bins throughout Michigan. This real-world project connects to the Protect The Strays curriculum project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stride (formerly K12 Inc.): Large publicly-traded provider of online learning programs and curriculum for K-12 students. Comparable to WAY as a broader incumbent in the online K-12 education space with curriculum/platform licensing and managed virtual schools.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Non-profit charter management organization operating public charter schools primarily in California, focused on underserved students. Comparable to WAY as a non-profit CMO serving at-risk student populations with alternative educational models.

Direct peers

• Connections Academy: Operator of tuition-free online public schools (charter and district-embedded) for grades K-12 across multiple states. Directly comparable to WAY Michigan online school and shares the alternative/non-traditional education student segment.
• Mosaica Education: Charter management organization and curriculum provider serving K-12 schools globally. Comparable to WAY through its combination of managed charter schools and curriculum licensing — particularly relevant given WAY's Centric platform offering.
• National Education Solutions (NES): Charter management organization operating schools across multiple states with a focus on blended learning models. Comparable to WAY's blended charter school approach and multi-state charter management operations.
• Charter Schools USA: Large for-profit charter management organization operating public charter schools nationwide. Comparable to WAY as a competitor for charter authorizations and a model for scaling managed charter operations across states.
• National Heritage Academies: A large charter school management organization operating K-8 (and some K-12) charter schools across multiple US states. Highly comparable to WAY as a CMO with similar managed-services model, public funding reliance, and multi-state expansion strategy.
• Ednovate: Non-profit charter management organization operating high schools in California serving first-generation college-bound students. Comparable to WAY's college-prep focus and alternative high school model for non-traditional student populations.
• Leona Group: Charter school management organization operating public charter schools across multiple states. Directly comparable to WAY as a CMO serving K-12 students through a mix of blended and online learning models with public school district partnerships.

Emerging players

• Altitude Learning: Online learning platform and project-based curriculum provider serving K-12 schools and districts. Comparable to WAY's Centric platform as a competency-based, project-oriented learning technology — relevant as a curriculum/technology peer rather than a direct operator competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WAYProgram
• Facebookfacebook.com/WideningAdvancementsforYouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/way-program---widening-advancements-for-youth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WAY