ABOUT

Stephanie Malia

Relentlessly focused on what kids need to be ready for the world and what the world needs to be ready for them.

I am a mom of two boys with a background in education and social work. Eight years ago, I left education because I was worried that earning a diploma was not the same thing as being ready for college, work, and life. Ever since, I have been on a mission to figure out what kids need to survive and thrive, now and in the future.

I'm the author of Making It: What Today's Kids Need for Tomorrow's World and a consultant to leaders preparing young people for adulthood or preparing the world for them. I serve as a senior advisor to Jobs for the Future and a staff consultant to the Youth Transition Funders Group. Every day I partner with the people and places working to make youth readiness a right and reality, especially for those who are harmed by today's systems and structures.

Follow my family's adventures this year as we take the Making It principles on the road.

This year, my boys are out of school (thanks, COVID), learning from me, my mom, and my husband. We are trying to put the research on readiness and well-being into practice at home and on the road. Follow our adventures on Instagram at @wonder_and_wayfinding.