The KF-STRIDE Solution

KF-STRIDE is an online training program designed to help young adults improve their ability to obtain and maintain a job.

KF-STRIDE builds upon established principles of positive psychology, and thus we focus on what youth are doing right (as opposed to fixing what they do wrong). KF-STRIDE takes a strengths-based approach, helping students identify their strengths and learn to strategically express them to future employers and coworkers.

While it was designed with the neurodiverse learner in mind, it can be useful for anyone who wants to improve their job interview and employment skills. There are 4 major components of the KF-STRIDE program:

Animated Engaging Videos, Offered Online

Through engaging animation and fun activities over the course of ten 1-hour lessons students will explore their unique strengths, and practice how they would use them in important employment settings. Because the curriculum is web-based, no special software is needed, and it can be accessed at any time.

Support for Teachers and Coaches

Schools and Vocational Rehab settings often do not have pre-existing curriculum to teach job interview skills, leaving teachers and job coaches trying to develop their own lessons. Unfortunately, without a structured curriculum, it can be challenging as teachers do not know if their way of teaching job interview skills is effective.

On the other hand, the KF-STRIDE curriculum was designed be easy to implement. The animated characters in the curriculum videos deliver the lessons to the students, meaning teachers do not need to create their own lesson plans. However, teachers and job coaches play an important role by guiding the student through the lessons. We offer an easy online training course to give educators the confidence they need to deliver KF-STRIDE to their students.

Research-Based

KF-STRIDE was developed by Dr. Helen Genova, a neuroscientist at Kessler Foundation who has worked with the neurodiverse community for over 20 years. Importantly, KF-STRIDE was created in partnership with the neurodiverse community and based on well-validated principles of positive psychology. In a recent randomized controlled pilot trial, KF-STRIDE was shown to be effective in improving job interview skills and confidence. You can read more about the research here.

Opportunities to Practice Skills

One of the most effective ways of reinforcing skills is to practice repeatedly. Therefore, KF-STRIDE offers the opportunity to explore one’s personal strengths and practice talking about them with others. A mobile app is available to students who want to practice these skills “on the go.”