Inaugural Cohort · Fall 2026
Master the art of momentum.
The EF Leadership Institute is a four-year high school program designed for girls and gender expansive students navigating executive functioning challenges — beginning with the Freshman Academy and graduating paid student leaders.
The Curriculum
The ten pillars of high school success.
Building Confidence
Cultivating a steady inner voice so freshmen show up fully — in class, clubs, and the lunch table.
Relationship Building
Practicing the small, repeated acts of trust that turn classmates into a real support network.
Time Management
Designing weekly rhythms that respect cognitive load, not just the calendar grid.
Task Initiation
Overcoming the paralysis of the blank page with structured starting rituals.
Planning
Translating assignments and ambitions into clear, sequenced steps that actually leave the page.
Prioritizing Tasks
Learning to read the difference between what is urgent, what is important, and what is loud.
Goal Setting
Setting goals that stretch and sustain — quarter-long, week-long, and small enough to start today.
Developing Resilience
Building the cognitive flexibility to recover from setbacks, schedule shifts, and surprise grades.
Student–Parent Communication
Equipping students to share progress with parents directly — easing frustration at home and building stronger relationships.
School, Home & Community
Strengthening the network around each student through service projects during school breaks that connect classroom, family, and community.
The Four-Year Arc
From supported freshman to student leader.
The EF Leadership Institute is designed as a four-year progression. Support is highest in year one and tapers as students grow into mentors, workshop leaders, and — by senior year — paid leadership running the organization.
Phase 01 · Freshman Year
The Freshman Academy
The most supported phase — building the executive function foundation.
- Weekly EF skills workshops and direct practice
- Relationship building with peers and teachers
- Communication, collaboration, and self-advocacy skills
- Goal setting and self-monitoring of progress
- Biweekly parent communication and progress updates
- Peer mentoring support from upperclassmen
- Four work sessions per week
Phase 02 · Sophomore Year
The Sophomore Academy
Refining the skills — and stepping into the first leadership reps.
- Continued EF practice with deeper independence
- Refining communication, collaboration, and advocacy
- A cohort service project — emerging leadership
- Mentoring incoming freshmen
- Work toward short- and long-term goals
- Biweekly parent updates with student-led progress presentations
- Celebrating wins in a presentation format
- Four work sessions per week
Phase 03 · Junior Year
Junior Leadership Pipeline
Leading younger cohorts while preparing for life after high school.
- Continuous EF support with weekly check-ins
- Mentoring freshmen and sophomores
- Leading EF workshops for the younger cohorts
- Resume building and interview preparation
- College application support
- Four work sessions per week
Phase 04 · Senior Year
Senior Leadership — Paid
A paid student leadership role running the Institute as a real business.
- Paid student leadership inside the organization
- Social media marketing and content
- Accounting and operations
- Management, education, and client retention
- Continued EF support through senior year and internship
- Four work sessions per week
Freshman Academy
Six executive function skills, taught from day one.
The first cohort begins with the core skills that make every other part of high school possible. Each skill is practiced weekly, reinforced by mentors, and measured against real assignments.
Time Management
Designing weekly rhythms that respect cognitive load, not just the calendar grid.
Task Initiation
Overcoming the paralysis of the blank page with structured starting rituals.
Planning
Translating assignments and ambitions into clear, sequenced steps that actually leave the page.
Prioritizing
Learning to read the difference between what is urgent, what is important, and what is loud.
Goal Setting
Setting goals that stretch and sustain — quarter-long, week-long, and small enough to start today.
Resilience
Building the cognitive flexibility to recover from setbacks, schedule shifts, and surprise grades.
The parent & counselor one-pager.
Want the full breakdown? Download the printable one-pager we hand to parents and school counselors. It maps every executive functioning skill we teach in the first cohort — what it looks like in real schoolwork, how the weekly workshop reinforces it, and how mentors carry it into 1-on-1 sessions.
Bring it to your next IEP, 504, or counselor meeting. Families tell us it's the clearest single page they have for explaining what "EF support" actually looks like during the school year.
- Six core EF skills
- Weekly cadence overview
- Mentor reinforcement examples
- How families can support at home
Celebrating Wins
How do we keep students on track? We count the small stuff.
Students work from a growth mindset perspective — progress is built from small, repeatable actions, not perfect weeks. So we celebrate micro-wins throughout the week, every week.
Micro-wins
Every small action above earns points throughout the week.
Short-term goals
Week- and quarter-sized goals a student sets and meets.
Long-term goals
The big, sustained goals that take a semester of momentum.
Biweekly, students gather via Zoom to tally points and celebrate each other's wins in front of the cohort. Points are rewarded with an Amazon gift card.
The Program Calendar
Every session, mapped to the 2026–27 school year.
Our interactive calendar lays out the full year — Monday EF Skill sessions (8–9 PM), Guided Work Sessions every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday, Sunday Planning (6–6:45 PM), and biweekly Thursday Celebrations — all built around the FCPS 2026–27 calendar, with holidays, breaks, and quarter-end early releases marked.
EF Program Calendar 2026–27
Browse month by month, July 2026 through June 2027. Color-coded: yellow for Planning, teal for Guided Work, marigold for EF Skill & Celebrations, pink for Mentor-Mentee Outings, and red for school holidays.
The Mentor Bridge
The quiet, weekly relationship that does most of the work.
Every freshman in the cohort is paired with an upperclassman mentor who has navigated the same hurdles.
- 1-on-1 weekly strategy sessions with your mentor
- Peer accountability circles across the cohort
- Workshops on planning, prioritization, and resilience
- Access to a faculty advisory network
Become a Mentor
Upperclassmen — apply to mentor the inaugural class.
Juniors and seniors who have built their own executive function systems are invited to apply. Mentors lead 1-on-1 weekly sessions, co-facilitate workshops, and shape the culture of the cohort.
Application received.
Thanks for applying to mentor the inaugural class. We review applications on a rolling basis and will reach out by email.
The Inaugural Class
Fifteen freshmen. Four years. A lifetime of systems.
Our first cohort is intentionally small. Fifteen students who enter as freshmen and move through all four phases together — hyper-personalized support, a community designed to stay close long after graduation.
Enrollment
Applications close July 15th.
High school freshmen with executive functioning challenges are invited to apply.
Freshman Application
Apply to join the inaugural freshman cohort.
Tell us about yourself and where you'd like to grow. There are no wrong answers — this self-assessment helps us pair you with the right mentor and shape your coaching plan from day one.
Application received.
Thanks for applying to the inaugural freshman cohort. We review applications on a rolling basis and will reach out by email.