Verification and accountability
Review submitted activities, monitor academic progress and confirm achievements before points are awarded.
Structured guidance. Verified development.
How WISE Works
WISE brings together long-term mentorship, verified participation, scholarship support and program oversight. Its four-year high-school framework is supported by dedicated people, partner organisations and the WISE Portal.
Earn to Learn
Progress is built through participation.
Through WISE’s structured Earn to Learn merit-based system, participants build a documented record of growth across academic performance, extracurricular activities and non-formal education.
Activities and achievements are reviewed by WISE Scholarship Administrators. Students who exceed the program’s threshold score become eligible for post-secondary scholarships. The focus is on sustained effort, verified development and readiness over time, rather than a single application.
The four-year development journey
Participants are selected through SFF/WISE partner organisations based on character, commitment and readiness.
Participants meet regularly with their WISE Scholarship Administrator, set goals and remain accountable for their development.
Activities are recorded and reviewed to build a reliable record of effort, achievement and responsibility.
Assessments, reflections and challenges help identify strengths, interests and next steps.
Participants work toward post-secondary planning with clearer direction and a documented record of growth.
Guidance, participation and verification continue throughout the journey.
People, partnerships and oversight
How WISE is
delivered.
WISE is delivered through a combination of staffing, partnerships, operational oversight, and technology. The model includes WISE Scholarship Administrators, partner organisations, structured program coordination, and the WISE Portal. Together, these elements support participant engagement, activity verification, long-term development, and scholarship administration. This allows WISE to operate as a structured educational system rather than a simple funding process.
Dedicated WISE Scholarship Administrators
The Steele Family Foundation funds and hires dedicated, full-time WISE Scholarship Administrators who are embedded within partner organisations. WSAs connect the participant, the local partner and the WISE Portal, providing structured guidance and professional program oversight.
Personal development and career direction
Use assessments and individual discussions to help participants set goals and explore pathways aligned with their strengths and interests.
Real-world learning
Coordinate opportunities such as job shadowing, college visits, leadership experiences and community involvement.
Safeguarding and professional practice
Work within the program’s youth-safety protocols, training requirements and professional boundaries.
Partnership activity
Implementation and
development, clearly
distinguished.
Current U.S.
Partnership Activity
WISE is currently being advanced through U.S.-based partnership relationships that support implementation, participant engagement, and long-term program learning.
These relationships help create real environments where WISE can be delivered, refined, and strengthened through direct experience. They also support staffing, mentorship, participant identification, and operational coordination.
For full details on current U.S. partnership activity, visit the WISE website.
International
Relationship Development
Alongside current U.S.-based activity, WISE is also exploring broader international relationship development through feasibility review, early partnership discussions, and future-oriented planning. This work is not presented in the same way as current U.S. implementation. Different relationships are at different stages, and the WISE website provides the clearest view of how those distinctions are being approached.
Responsible development
Built through partnerships, staffing and phased growth.
- People
- Partnerships
- Systems
- Long-Term Impact
The WISE Scholarship Program™ has been developed through a phased approach that includes partnership-building, staffing, feasibility work, technology development, and long-term implementation planning. As the program continues to grow, The Steele Family Foundation remains focused on building the infrastructure, relationships, and support systems required to deliver WISE responsibly and effectively.
Program growth is supported by the people, systems and relationships required to deliver it.