Skip to main content

Case Studies


RISE Case Study

In 2021, the McGowan Fund engaged Bright Path to support the launch of RISE, a cohort-based workforce development program in Pennsylvania that partners with UNC and local colleges to reduce employment barriers for parents while addressing regional skills gaps. Bright Path trained and coached the RISE team to shift from case management to a strengths-based, Executive Skills coaching model and provided ongoing support as the program expanded. From 2021–2023, Bright Path supported staff training, program refinement, and new partnerships, receiving consistently strong feedback. Now in its fifth cohort, RISE is a sustainable regional program graduating skilled workers in high-demand fields with coaching fully embedded in UNC’s operations.


Ladders of Opportunity

In 2023, Bright Path partnered with Illinois-based Ladders of Opportunity sites to train leaders in Executive Skills Coaching, goal setting, and disability justice. Over four months, leaders strengthened their coaching practice, redesigned program tools, and implemented trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches to support parents pursuing Paraprofessional credentials. The work improved outcomes for families and helped address Paraprofessional shortages in schools. By 2025, participating leaders had scaled these Coaching practices across multiple schools, embedding goal tracking and strengths-based support into daily operations.