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TURNAROUND FOR CHILDREN INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 061495529 · Form 990 · FY2023 · Small ($100K-$1M) · turnaroundusa.org
revenue
$359K
expenses
$1.4M
net assets
$339K
employees
28
volunteers
12
program ratio
67%
mission · from form 990

1) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GROUNDED IN SCIENCE: WE CREATE AND SHARE TOOLS AND RESOURCES SO EDUCATORS CAN IMPLEMENT WHOLE-CHILD DESIGN RIGHT NOW. 2) BUILDING EDUCATOR CAPACITY: WE WORK WITH EDUCATORS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO HELP THEM CREATE EQUITABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, GROUNDED IN THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT.3) MOBILIZING THE EDUCATIONAL ECOSYSTEM: WE COLLABORATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS YOUTH-SERVING SYSTEMS TO BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR A WHOLE-CHILD FUTURE, EVERYWHERE KIDS LEARN.

profile · synthesized from sources

Turnaround for Children, now operating as the Center for Whole-Child Education, is a nonprofit organization that partners with educators to implement science-based approaches to whole-child development. The organization provides professional learning, consulting, and tools grounded in the science of learning and development to help schools create equitable, supportive environments. It focuses on building educator capacity, integrating developmental research into practice, and transforming educational systems to support student thriving.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Building Blocks for Learning
A research-based framework outlining the development of cognitive, emotional, and social skills necessary for student success in school and beyond, aligned with academic achievement and malleable learner attributes.
Coaching and Consultation
One-on-one and team-based support for district and school leaders to define needs and implement whole-child education strategies, delivered by experienced educators and former school leaders.
Guiding Principles for Equitable Whole-Child Design
Five core principles—Positive Developmental Relationships, Environments Filled With Safety and Belonging, Rich Learning Experiences, Development of Skills and Mindsets, and Integrated Support Systems—used to guide systemic transformation in schools.
Whole-Child Foundations
Professional learning sessions and series introducing educators to the science of learning and development and the Whole-Child Design Blueprint, including offerings tailored for new teachers and focused on adolescent development.
Whole-Child Workshops
Deeper-dive professional learning experiences on topics such as coherence across initiatives, holistic literacy development, adolescent reading, and assessing whole-child practices using the Whole-Child Design Inventory.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Teacher Professional Development 4 activities
    • Deliver in-depth workshops and coaching for whole-child education implementation
      Provides targeted professional learning workshops and offers coaching and consultation services to school and district leaders to support systemic implementation of whole-child design principles and equitable learning environments.
    • Distribute free online tools and resources for whole-child education
      Provides educators with free, science-rooted tools, self-assessments, lesson planning guidance, and student surveys to support the implementation of whole-child design in learning environments.
    • Offer educator microcredential programs in whole-child education
      Provides a microcredential course in partnership with Arizona State University that trains educators in whole-child principles and supports the development of improvement plans for learning environments.
    • Provide professional learning programs for educators
      Offers a range of professional learning opportunities, including multi-session series and workshops, on the science of learning and development, adolescent development, and the Whole-Child Design Blueprint, designed to equip educators with implementable strategies.
  • Child Care and Early Childhood Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Advance whole-child education through cross-system collaboration and policy advocacy
      Collaborates with stakeholders across youth-serving systems and participates in the SoLD Alliance to advocate for research, policy, and practice shifts that support whole-child development in education and youth systems.
  • Education Policy Research and Analysis 1 activity
    • Produce and share research reports on whole-child education
      Co-published and authored research reports such as "Design Principles for Schools: Putting the Science of Learning and Development into Action" and "Strengthening Coherence Across Initiatives: A Whole-Child Lens" to advance the application of developmental science in education.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Develop and disseminate the Building Blocks for Learning framework
      Developed and utilizes the Building Blocks for Learning, an evidence-based framework identifying the cognitive, emotional, and social skills predictive of academic success, to inform educator practice and system design.
    • Provide the Whole-Child Design Blueprint as a visioning and planning tool
      Offers the Whole-Child Design Blueprint to help educators and leaders align their practices with the science of learning and development and design equitable, developmentally-informed learning environments.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$359K
Contributions & grants$153K43%
Program service revenue$207K57%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.43M
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead33%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$38K
Grants paid out$954K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$376K
Cash$347K
Investments$0
Liabilities$37K
Net assets$339K
Liquid reserves2.9 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -90.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
SOJI ADEWUMI CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 40 $225K
JEREMY KOREN DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMM 40 $160K
BRIAN DUGAN DIRECTOR, IT 40 $153K
DAWN FOREMAN PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR 40 $135K
MENSA ANKH MAA PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR 40 $132K
SUPRAJA NARAYANASWAMY DIRECTOR 40 $113K
board members · 13
  • ALLEN BLUE — DIRECTOR
  • ANDREW C PESKOE ESQ — ASST SECRETARY OF THE BOAR
  • BETHIEL GIRMA HOLTON — DIRECTOR
  • BRIGID AHERN — PRESIDENT & CEO, DIRECTOR
  • CLAUDIA M MARMOLEJO ESQ — TREASURER OF THE BOARD
  • ELLEN GALINSKY — DIRECTOR
  • JILLIAN GRIFFITHS — VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD
  • KAREN PITTMAN — DIRECTOR
  • KELLY POSNER GERSTENHABER PHD — DIRECTOR & FOUNDING CHAIRM
  • LASHAWN CHATMON — DIRECTOR
  • PAMELA CANTOR MD — DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
  • RYAN RODERICK — CHAIR OF THE BOARD
  • SUZANNE GAURON — DIRECTOR
relationships · 15

Who they work with

  • Alberta Family Wellness Initiative Partner — Collaborated on the development of the science of brain development content featured in resources.
  • Alberta Family Wellness Initiative Partner — Collaborates on or references brain development science content, including the "How Brains are Built" core story.
  • Arizona State University Partner — Collaborates to offer a microcredential course in whole-child education for professional educators.
  • Arizona State University Partner — Hosts the Center for Whole-Child Education and provides institutional support through ASU email and collaboration.
  • Arizona State University Partner — Hosts the Center for Whole-Child Education within the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College as part of the Responsive Systems Design Lab starting July 1, 2026.
  • CORE Learning Partner — Co-implements the Adolescent Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaborative (ALIPC) with Turnaround for Children.
  • Center on Reinventing Public Education Coalition — Collaborates as part of an innovative ecosystem at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
  • Contra Costa County Office of Education Partner — Collaborates with Turnaround for Children on Project ARISE to advance evidence-based literacy instruction in California.
  • Learning Policy Institute Partner — Co-published a report on design principles for schools based on the science of learning and development.
  • Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation Partner — Hosts the Center for Whole-Child Education within the Responsive Systems Design Lab starting July 1, 2026.
  • Next Education Workforce initiative Coalition — Collaborates as part of an innovative ecosystem at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
  • Science of Learning and Development Partner — Grounds whole-child education in the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD), integrating insights from neuroscience, psychology, and education.
  • SoLD Alliance Network — Member of the SoLD Alliance since its inception, collaborating to advance research, practice, and policy in education and youth development.
  • UnboundEd Partner — Co-implements the Adolescent Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaborative (ALIPC) with Turnaround for Children.
  • Urban Collaborative Coalition — Collaborates as part of an innovative ecosystem at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Developmental Relationships and Protective Environments
    methodology: relational_buffering
    By intentionally building trusting adult-child relationships and designing emotionally and identity-safe environments, we buffer the negative effects of stress on brain development and learning, because secure relationships and belonging are neurobiologically protective and enable cognitive engagement.
  • Integrated Social-Emotional-Academic Instruction
    methodology: integrated_seal
    By embedding explicit instruction in skills, habits, and mindsets—like executive function and growth mindset—within rich, culturally responsive learning experiences, we produce deeper learning and equity, because integrating social-emotional and cognitive development mirrors how the brain actually learns and transfers knowledge.
  • Science-of-Adversity-Informed Intervention
    methodology: science_of_adversity
    By applying research on adversity and brain development, we design educational responses that reduce the impact of toxic stress on learning, because understanding neurobiological disruption allows educators to implement protective practices that restore developmental trajectory.
  • Science-of-Learning-and-Development Integration
    methodology: science_of_learning_and_development
    By grounding educational practices in interdisciplinary research from neuroscience, psychology, and education, we produce equitable learning environments that align with how children actually learn and develop, because the science reveals the biological and contextual conditions necessary for cognitive, emotional, and academic growth.
  • Whole-Child Design Ecosystem Mobilization
    methodology: whole_child_design_ecosystem
    By organizing educators, systems, and communities around a shared blueprint for development—centered on relationships, environments, skills, and leadership—we produce systemic change in education, because aligning multiple stakeholders around science-informed principles enables sustainable, equitable student thriving across contexts.