The Pando Initiative

Hey @therejects, see you soon! Just look up, because we 💚 you, and are celebrating student success! #AAR #PandoNightOut #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

We’ve been out surprising our STAR Students with their nominations at all 30 Pando schools these past two weeks! 🎉⭐ Today at @Truesdellusd259, we had a special surprise for Robyn - made even more unforgettable with her dad there to celebrate her achievements. 💚 The pride on his face said it all as Robyn received her STAR Student nomination. Congrats, Robyn - you earned this moment! 🌟👏 We can’t wait to celebrate Robyn and our other 59 incredible STAR Students at this year’s STAR Awards! ⭐ Secure your tickets or sponsorship and join us as we roll out the red carpet for these amazing students. 🎬✨ 🎟️ bit.ly/pandostar26 #STARStudent #PandoSTARawards #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

Big day for Team Pando! 🎉 Today The Pando Initiative was honored at the @ICTBizJournal Innovation Awards and we couldn’t be more proud of our incredible staff who make this work happen every single day. Innovation at Pando means finding creative ways to help students show up, build confidence, discover their potential, and celebrate the wins along the way. Whether it’s through PandoKids, Pando NextGen, or the life-changing experience of Reality U, our team is always thinking about how to reach more students and make an even bigger impact. A big thank you to the Wichita Business Journal for recognizing this work. The real inspiration behind everything we do is the thousands of Kansas students who continue to prove that success comes in many forms. And we’re just getting started. ⭐ #StudentSuccess #Innovation #ThePandoWay

The moment we’ve been waiting for is almost here! 🌟 On Tuesday, May 5 at WSU Metroplex, we’re rolling out the red carpet for the STAR Awards, an unforgettable afternoon celebrating student success. With @ZebTheDJ as our MC, expect energy, excitement, and surprises! 🎤 Sponsorships and tickets are available now and going fast. 🎟 Secure your spot today at bit.ly/pandostar26. Let’s make it a celebration to remember! ✨ #STARAwards #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

Big thanks to @AnnetteLawless and the @KWCH12 Kansas Now team for having us on this morning! ☀️ We appreciated the chance to highlight Reality U and share more about The Pando Initiative and the work happening with students every day. From making real-world financial decisions to celebrating achievements at the STAR Awards, it all comes back to helping students feel confident and prepared for what’s next. Grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on our programs and student success ❤️ #RealityU #StudentSuccess #FinancialLiteracy #ThePandoWay

WOW, WOW, WOOOOOW! 💚 If incentive items could talk, they’d probably say, “we didn’t know we’d be this popular.” 😄 A huge thank you to @plymouthwichita, @McCownGordon, NWI Aerostructures and other donors for their generous donations to our Incentive Drive. These items go straight into classrooms and student spaces, where they’re used to celebrate progress, encourage positive choices, and give students that extra boost of motivation to keep showing up and doing their best. Because sometimes, simple rewards make a big difference in a student’s confidence, effort, and joy at school. We’re so grateful for partners who help make everyday success possible for Pando students. Thank you for believing in kids with us! 💚 #IncentiveDrive #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

Big news worth celebrating! 💚✨ We’re honored to be named a @ICTBizJournal 2026 Innovation Award honoree. With The Pando Way and the first year of our three year strategic plan, our Innovation Year, we are reimagining and redefining what student success looks like across more schools and communities than ever before. From rebranding our high school program as Pando NextGen to sharpen our focus on college and career readiness, to innovating, expanding, and growing Reality U, including multilingual events that create access and belonging for every student, innovation is driving everything we do. We are proud to be leading the charge and proving that when students are supported, bold ideas can change futures. Thank you to our staff, partners, and supporters who make innovation possible every single day. 💚 #WBJ #InnovationAwards #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

🍕🎉 Simple Success never tasted so good! Our Pando Pizza Party at Washington Elementary was the perfect way to celebrate big wins with our amazing 3rd graders. We heard so many powerful Simple Success stories, including: ✨ A student excited to come back after winter break and keep working toward mastering her multiplication tables 📚 A student who raised her reading score to above grade level 📅 Several students celebrated for improved and even perfect attendance 💛 Students sharing how important it is to be kind and be a good friend These are the moments that show how Simple Success is built through encouragement, consistency, and support. 💚 Want to help create more moments like this? Your support helps us celebrate progress, build confidence, and give students the encouragement they need to keep growing. 👉 Donate or get involved today at thepandoinitiative.org/get-involved #SimpleSuccess #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

First Staff Meeting of the Year, celebrating community partnerships and collaboration! 💚 We kicked off the year energized and grateful for the community that surrounds our students. Our meeting was hosted by the wonderful @wichitalibrary Advanced Learning Library, where staff learned about library resources and jumped into a fun, interactive scavenger hunt. 📖 We were excited to learn from incredible partners NEXT LEVEL Athletes and Side By Side Kansas, followed by an impactful training from @Suspenders4Hope. 💚 We closed the day with meaningful, hands-on volunteer time at Simply Hygiene, a valued community partner that helps Pando ensure students have access to basic hygiene items so they can show up to school with confidence and dignity. Simply Hygiene does incredible work and is always looking for volunteers who want to make a real difference. Learn more here 👉 simplyhygiene.org/ways-to-help/ Grateful for our partners, our team, and a community that believes in collaboration and student success. ✨ #Community #ThePandoWay

💚 Thank You, @SunflowerBank! We’re incredibly grateful to Sunflower Bank for their generous support of Reality U, our hands-on financial literacy program that helps students see what life looks like beyond high school. Because of partners like Sunflower Bank, students are gaining real-world skills around budgeting, careers, credit, and decision-making tools that help set them up for success long after graduation. Thank you for investing in students, education, and a stronger future for our community. Your support helps make learning real. #Reality U #FinancialLiteracy #ThePandoWay

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉 We are stepping into this new year celebrating what we see every day at The Pando Initiative: simple success. It starts with community. It grows through mentors, volunteers, and education. It becomes opportunity, confidence, and pride for students. And it all comes back to one thing. You. As we look ahead, we are excited for the simple successes still to come and grateful for the community that makes them possible. Start the year by supporting student success and helping write the next chapter for the students we serve. 💚 Simple Success starts with you. Donate today: thepandoinitiative.org/donate Here’s to a new year full of hope, pride, and simple success. ✨

Because of community partners like @BicycleXchange1, student success keeps moving forward 🚲 Today, our staff picked up 28 bicycles thanks to Bicycle X-Change, continuing a longtime partnership that has helped provide countless bikes to Pando students. These bikes give students reliable transportation, confidence, and greater access to school, work, and everyday opportunities. We are incredibly grateful to Bicycle X-Change for their continued generosity and commitment to our students. This is what real community impact looks like. If you are looking for a simple way to support student success, our Incentive Drive is underway. You can learn more and get involved by visiting our website at thepandoinitiative.org Thank you for believing in our students and showing up for their success! #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

🎁 Pando Incentive Drive is here! Help celebrate student success by donating incentives students can earn for reaching their goals at school. Our Student Support Advocates use these items to recognize things like improved attendance, turning in assignments, and making positive choices. 🛒 Shop the wishlists: Walmart: bit.ly/pandowalmart25 Target: bit.ly/pandotarget25 Amazon: bit.ly/pandoamazon25 💳 Give online: thepandoinitiative.org/donate Have questions or want to coordinate a group drive? Contact Daniel Morford at dmorford@pandokids.org. Every incentive you give becomes a way to say, “You did it. Your effort matters.” 💚 #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

Once again, we are amazed and grateful for community support. 💚 Today, St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral delivered a generous donation for the Community Fridge & Pantry at @WichitaNorth259 - helping us support students not only educationally and mentally, but physically, too. Students at North have free, no-questions-asked access to food for any reason, and gifts like this keep those shelves full and their needs met. Thank you, St. George, for standing with Pando and championing student success in every way. 🥫✨ #communityfridge #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

Thankful for you. Today and every day, we’re grateful for the community that makes student success possible. To our teachers, school staff, volunteers, donors, partners, and every person who shows up for kids - thank you. Your support creates connections, opens doors, and empowers students to succeed in school, at home, and in life. Because when a community comes together with heart and purpose, incredible things happen for students. And that’s something to be truly thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Pando! #Thanksgiving #thankful #Community #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

We are so grateful for a community that cares! This year, our Pando staff picked up and delivered 60 full Thanksgiving meals for Pando families thanks to the generosity of @CapFed and @eastminsterICT When partners come together to lift students and families, simple acts create meaningful moments of success. And this was a success worth celebrating. We are grateful for the support, the collaboration, and the heart behind it all. That is, after all, the Pando Way! 💚 #StudentSuccess #Thanksgiving #Community #ThePandoWay

Pando is more than a program. It is a movement changing the way Kansas supports its students. The Wichita Business Journal highlights the impact of our work and the students who inspire it. Through PandoKids, NextGen, and Reality U, we connect more than 50,000 students each year to the support, skills, and opportunities they need to succeed. Our community plays a key role in this work by standing with students and helping them reach their goals. Thank you for supporting student success across Kansas! 👉 Read the WBJ feature: bizjournals.com/wichita/press-… #CommunitySupport #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

🔥 We cannot stop watching this. Like… we’ve already hit replay a million times. And our own Cooking theme song?!🔥 Hit play. Turn up the volume. Smile big. Because this is what community looks like when it shows up for students. 💚✨ Cooking for a Cause 2025 was pure magic - the chefs, the energy, the glow, the generosity, the impact. And now you get to relive every moment right along with us. 🎥 Huge shoutout to Chase Me If You Can Productions for perfectly capturing the heart, the hype, and the absolute joy of the night! #CookingForACause #ComeOnDown #Community #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

💚 Sometimes, all you need is one adult who believes in you. 🎥 Watch 👉 youtu.be/IPtapv9AFqA?si… That’s The Pando Way! Connecting students with the support, skills, and opportunities they need to succeed. And showing just how far we can make student success go. Thank you to @MalibuCreative for bringing our story to life, and to @OaklawnCheetahs, Truesdell Middle School, and @WichitaNorth259 for helping us capture the power of connection in action. #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay

Wow, what a night! Cooking for a Cause was a delicious success, with over 700 community members Coming on Down to Kansas Star Casino to raise money to support Pando programs. We’ll have PLENTY more photos and videos of the excitement, but first we want to do another shoutout to our amazing sponsors: Presenting Sponsors: @Cargill and Kansas Surgery & Recovery Center After Party Sponsor: @USLogoINC Exquisite Eats Sponsor: @Airbus Chef Champion Sponsor: @kansas_star Kitchen Crew Sponsor: @INTRUSTBank Sips &. Spirits Sponsor: ICT Book Club Media Sponsor: @Audacy Live Chef Cam Sponsor: @NetAbilityUSA Gourmet Sponsors: @CUofAmerica Derby Walmart Supercenter Matt & Lindsay Depperschmidt @EmpriseBank @FoulstonSiefkin @kochincglobal @McCownGordon Stay tuned for more memories from the evening, Top Chef Awards, and some special announcements! #CookingforaCause #StudentSuccess #ThePandoWay