...more than sports!
Level 1 | Catalyst Labs
Ignite Possibility. Inspire Student Leadership.
Catalyst Labs are immersive experiences that help schools spark student leadership, strengthen collaboration, and connect learning to purpose.Each Lab adapts to local goals and timelines, offering schools a structured yet flexible way to activate student potential.
Every format follows a simple rhythm: Activate. Apply. Align.
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Formats
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Single-Day Lab: A focused workshop introducing 5A tools and engagement strategies.
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Two-Day Intensive: A deeper experience combining student activation and team planning.
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Three-Day Experience: A full immersion that mobilizes students and staff around shared priorities.
What Schools Gain
✅Measurable student engagement and leadership growth
✅Strengthened culture and team alignment
✅Practical action steps that prepare schools for deeper design work
Catalyst Labs help schools see their strengths, activate student leadership, and create early wins that build confidence for what comes next.
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Level 2 | Flagship System Residencies
From Labs to Living Systems.
The Design Residency transforms short-term energy into long-term systems. Over twelve weeks, school teams partner directly with 5A facilitators to co-design frameworks that align daily routines with academic growth, wellness, and leadership outcomes. Each Residency centers on one 5A Flagship Framework, allowing districts to build capacity one system at a time. Using design-thinking, coaching, and measurable feedback loops, each cohort produces a customized structure that fits the school’s existing programs, priorities, and culture.
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What Schools Gain
✅ A ready-to-implement framework built around clear outcomes and local goals
✅ Tools that strengthen leadership capacity among staff, coaches, and students
✅ Built-in data checkpoints for tracking and reporting measurable progress
✅ A comprehensive design blueprint that connects classrooms, athletics, and community partnerships
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The Design Residency helps schools move beyond isolated programs to build culture, systems, and accountability that last. Each Residency strengthens internal leadership, expands measurable impact, and leaves behind structures that can be celebrated, shared, and sustained.
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Level 3 | Full Advancement Academy Rollout
Infrastructure. Capacity. Impact.
Systems Integration is the highest level of partnership within the 5A Launch Pathway. Our multi-year collaboration allows schools and districts to grow into sustainable, student-centered infrastructure while 5A carries the weight of design, facilitation, and data management in the early stages. The goal is to ensure smooth adoption, lasting ownership, and measurable results without overwhelming school teams.
Year 1 | 5A-Led Pilot Integration
5A leads the installation of two or three core systems, managing setup, facilitation, and baseline data collection. During this phase, staff and coaches are trained through guided implementation while 5A coordinates logistics, data tools, and fidelity checkpoints. The result is proof of concept, visible progress, and a confident internal team prepared for expansion.
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What Schools Experience
✅ 5A handles all core setup and facilitation
✅ Staff receive hands-on modeling and guided leadership practice
✅ Early wins and clear impact data for stakeholder reporting
Years 2–3 | Co-Facilitated Full Integration
In Years 2 and 3, schools expand to all six 5A frameworks through direct co-facilitation with the 5A team. Implementation remains 5A-led, but internal leadership teams begin taking on guided responsibilities. Together, we ensure every framework operates smoothly, data tools function with consistency, and staff are confident in day-to-day application.
​During the second half of Year 3, 5A begins a structured handoff process. Coaches, administrators, and student leaders step into facilitation roles with real-time mentorship and performance feedback. This gradual transition turns training into ownership; not by replacing 5A, but by building permanent local capacity.
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What Schools Experience
✅ Hands-on mentorship that turns practice into independent leadership
✅ Measurable readiness milestones that confirm full operational capacity
✅ Shared accountability between 5A and school teams through joint reviews
By the end of Year 3, the school earns certification as a Student-Athlete Advancement Academy, fully equipped to sustain and refine the 5A model within its own culture and systems.
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Post-Integration | 5A License and Support Partnership
After certification, schools transition into a renewable 5A License and Support Partnership designed to preserve impact, maintain quality, and ensure continuous improvement. This partnership keeps 5A connected as a long-term resource while allowing the school to lead independently.
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What Schools Experience
✅ Annual professional learning and implementation updates
✅ Access to evolving 5A frameworks, dashboards, and data tools
✅ Technical assistance and fidelity reviews that sustain long-term results
✅ Ongoing recognition as an official 5A Advancement Academy Partner
Systems Integration is a guided journey, not a handoff left to chance. 5A manages the build, trains the team, and walks alongside the district until the systems are fully owned, operational, and sustainable. By certification, schools have both the confidence and the capacity to lead with excellence while continuing to benefit from 5A’s ongoing partnership and innovation.
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