What is WISDOM Coach® Certification?
WISDOM Coach Certification is the official training and certification pathway created by Adventures in Wisdom to prepare adults to become a Certified WISDOM Coach®, authorized to bring life coaching for kids and mindset skills training to children through WISDOM Coaching™.
Through the WISDOM Coach Certification Program, coaches are trained to use the Adventures in Wisdom Life Coaching for Kids Curriculum (2010) and the proven STORY Coaching Process™ to help children develop the mindset and skill set for confidence, self-esteem, emotional awareness, resilience, self-leadership, and achievement.
Certification is required to deliver WISDOM Coaching™. The certification program exists to ensure that children and families receive coaching that is consistent, ethical, child-centered, and grounded in a proven methodology.
Since 2013, Adventures in Wisdom has certified individuals in over 30 countries to become certified WISDOM Coaches and help kids develop 27 mindset skills to be confident and parpared to thrive in life.
What makes the WISDOM Coach Certification Program unique is that it prepares coaches to be successful both in coaching children and in building a business they love as life coaches for kids.
In addition to learning a step-by-step coaching methodology that gets results with children, certified coaches receive structured guidance on how to build a sustainable coaching practice: provideing tools training and support to help coaches learn how to get clients, package services, price with confidence, and grow a values-aligned business. Some coaches build a new practice, while others integrate WISDOM Coaching™ into an existing business.
Created and stewarded by Adventures in Wisdom under the leadership of its founder, Renaye Thornborrow, WISDOM Coach Certification exists to protect the integrity of WISDOM Coaching™, support coaches in doing meaningful work, and ensure children and families receive high-quality, skill-based coaching from trained professionals.
On This Page
- Who Created WISDOM Coach Certification?
- The Purpose of WISDOM Coach Certification
- What Makes WISDOM Coach Certification Different?
- Professional Recognition and Credibility
- Who WISDOM Coach Certification is For?
- What WISDOM Coach Certification Prepares Coaches to Do
- How WISDOM Coach Certification Fits with WISDOM Coaching™
- Learn More About WISDOM Coaching
Who Created WISDOM Coach Certification?
WISDOM Coach Certification was created by Renaye Thornborrow, founder of Adventures in Wisdom and author of the Adventures in Wisdom Life Coaching for Kids Curriculum. Renaye developed the certification program to ensure that adults who work with children are properly trained, supported, and prepared to deliver WISDOM Coaching™ with integrity and care while creating success in their business.
Since its creation in 2013, WISDOM Coach Certification has grown into a global training program, supporting coaches in more than 30 countries who share a common methodology, language, and commitment to empowering children through mindset skills and life skills.
Today, Adventures in Wisdom continues to steward the WISDOM Coach Certification Program, supporting the coaching community and upholding the standards that ensure WISDOM Coaching™ remains a trusted, values-driven approach for children and families around the world.
The Purpose of WISDOM Coach Certification
The purpose of WISDOM Coach Certification is to prepare adults to help children develop skills for confidence, self-esteem, resilience, self-leadership, and achievement—while also supporting coaches in creating a sustainable business they feel proud of.
WISDOM Coach Certification was created to ensure that adults who feel called to help children have a clear, step-by-step process for getting results through WISDOM Coaching™, using stories, conversation, and skill practice that children can understand and apply in their everyday lives.
Just as importantly, the certification exists to address a common concern many aspiring coaches share:
How do I turn this meaningful work into a successful business?
WISDOM Coach Certification intentionally integrates marketing and business support so that coaches can feel confident building a coaching practice. Coaches learn how to find clients, package and price their services, have connected conversations with parents, onboard new clients, and engage families throughout the coaching process—all in ways that align with their values and respect the families they serve.
Coaches are also supported through a highly active online community of like-minded professionals from around the world, along with ongoing training and Q&A calls that provide connection, guidance, and continued development.
At its core, WISDOM Coach Certification exists so coaches can do work that matters—empowering children with skills to thrive in life while creating a business they truly love.
What Makes WISDOM Coach Certification Different
WISDOM Coach Certification stands apart because it supports the whole journey of a coach – providing them with a proven curriculum and step-by-step coaching process to get results with children and providing the marketing, business, and coaching tools/training to help them build a sustainable, values-aligned coaching business.
The certification provides a clear, step-by-step framework that coaches can follow with confidence, knowing they are supported by a proven methodology and an experienced organization that has helped coaches be successful for more than a decade.
A Proven Coaching Methodology Designed Specifically for Children
At the foundation of WISDOM Coach Certification is a coaching approach created exclusively for children. Coaches are trained to use the The Adventures in Wisdom Life Coaching for Kids Curriculum and the STORY Coaching Process™ —a story-based, experiential framework that helps children understand and apply 27 mindset skills in real life.
Coaches are not left to design sessions from scratch. They are guided by a clear structure that supports consistency, quality, and meaningful results for children and families.
Step-by-Step Support for Building a Coaching Business
One of the most distinctive aspects of WISDOM Coach Certification is that business training and resources are built into the program.
Coaches receive tools, resources, and training on how to:
- Clearly communicate the value of their work
- Find clients and connect with the right families
- Package and price their services with confidence
- Have connected conversations and enroll clients in ways that feel authentic and aligned
- Build a coaching practice that is both impactful and sustainable
This support helps remove uncertainty and overwhelm, allowing coaches to focus on doing the work they care about while building a business that works.
Ongoing Community, Support, and Development
As part of WISDOM Coach Certification, coaches become part of an active, supportive community of like-minded professionals from around the world who are committed to empowering children through mindset and life skills.
Certified coaches have access to:
- A highly engaged private community
- Ongoing training opportunities
- Regular Q&A and support calls
- Continued learning and professional development
This sense of connection and support helps coaches grow with confidence, knowing they are not on their own.
Professional Recognition and Credibility
WISDOM Coach Certification is grounded in professional standards, ethical practice, and a long-standing commitment to quality in coach education.
The certification is created and stewarded by Adventures in Wisdom, the organization responsible for developing WISDOM Coaching™ and training Certified WISDOM Coaches® worldwide. Since 2013, Adventures in Wisdom has certified coaches in more than 30 countries, supporting a global community of professionals who work with children and families using a consistent, proven, values-driven approach.
Adventures in Wisdom is recognized as a Continuing Coach Education (CCE) Provider by the International Coaching Federation, reflecting alignment with professional coaching standards and a commitment to ongoing education, ethics, and quality training.
Adventures in Wisdom is also a member of the Association of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO) a global organization committed to advancing excellence for coach training organizations. In addition, Adventures in Wisdom’s founder, Renaye Thornborrow, served as a board member of ACTO for three years, contributing to the broader coaching profession.
WISDOM Coaching™ is also endorsed by Jack Canfield, one of the world’s most recognized leaders in personal development. This endorsement reflects confidence in the methodology, its focus on mindset skills, and its positive impact on children.
Together, these credibility markers reinforce that WISDOM Coach Certification is not an informal training program. It is a thoughtfully developed certification pathway supported by respected organizations, professional standards, and a clear commitment to serving children and families with care and integrity.
Who WISDOM Coach Certification Is For
People who pursue WISDOM Coach Certification tend to share three core qualities.
They are passionate about empowering children and believe that confidence, self-esteem, and resilience are skills children can learn. They value personal development and mindset work, not only as tools for children, but as a way of understanding themselves and the world more thoughtfully. And they see helping and empowering children as part of their purpose—a meaningful way to contribute and do their work in the world.
WISDOM Coach Certification is designed for adults who want a clear, ethical, and proven pathway to bring this work to life through coaching. It supports those who want to turn their passion into purposeful action, while being well-prepared to work with children and families.
From this shared foundation, WISDOM Coaches come from a wide range of backgrounds.
WISDOM Coach Certification is a strong fit for:
Aspiring life coaches for kids
Individuals who feel drawn to coaching children and want a proven, structured, and effective way to begin, without having to create everything from scratch.
Educators and school professionals
Teachers, counselors, and school staff who are passionate about developing the whole child and want practical tools to support confidence, resilience, and social-emotional growth.
Counselors and therapists
Professionals who appreciate a proactive, non-therapeutic approach and want to add skills-based coaching tools to their work with children, while maintaining clear scope and ethical boundaries.
Youth mentors, sports coaches, tutors, and extracurricular leaders
Adults who understand that mindset plays a critical role in success, whether in the classroom, on the field, on the stage, or in creative pursuits, and want to support children’s inner development alongside their talents.
Parents, caregivers, volunteers, and helping professionals
People who often begin with a desire to support the children in their own lives and discover a deeper calling to help other children as well.
WISDOM Coach Certification is ideal for those who want to build a coaching business or integrate WISDOM Coaching™ into an existing business.. Some coaches are starting something new, while others are expanding work they are already doing with children and families.
What unites those who pursue WISDOM Coach Certification is not a single background, but a shared intention: to empower children with skills for confidence, resilience, and self-leadership, and to do that work that makes a difference in the world.
What WISDOM Coach Certification Prepares Coaches to Do
WISDOM Coach Certification prepares coaches to confidently and effectively help children build the mindset and skills set to build confidence, self-esteem, resilience, self-leadership, and achievement skills so that they will be confident and prepared to thrive in life.
The certification provides a clear framework that helps coaches know what to do, how to do it, and why it works when coaching children.
Through certification, coaches are prepared to:
Deliver WISDOM Coaching™ with clarity and consistency
Coaches learn how to use The Adventures in Wisdom Life Coaching for Kids Curriculum and the STORY Coaching Process™ to guide children through stories, conversation, experiential activities, reflection, and real-life application in a way that is fun, engaging, and gets results.
Create emotionally safe, supportive coaching relationships
Certified coaches are trained to build trust with children, ask thoughtful questions, and support learning without pressure or judgment, creating an environment where children feel safe to explore and grow.
Teach 27 powerful mindset skills and life skills children can apply
Coaches are prepared to teach a defined set of mindset skills and life skills, helping children understand their thoughts and emotions, develop healthy self-talk, build resilience, take ownership of their choices, and go for their goals.
Work ethically and within clear scope of practice
WISDOM Coach Certification prepares coaches to understand the difference between coaching and therapy, maintain appropriate boundaries, and recognize when additional support may be needed—protecting children, families, and the coaching relationship.
Partner effectively with parents while centering the child
Coaches learn how to communicate clearly with parents, share the skills being taught, and support consistency, while always honoring the child’s independence and voice.
Build a sustainable coaching practice
In addition to coaching skills, certification prepares coaches to confidently structure their services, communicate the value of their work, and build a coaching practice that aligns with their values and long-term goals.
Ultimately, WISDOM Coach Certification prepares coaches not just to do coaching, but to become confident, grounded practitioners who can support children and families with professionalism, care, and purpose.
How WISDOM Coach Certification Fits with WISDOM Coaching™
WISDOM Coaching™ and WISDOM Coach Certification are closely connected, yet they serve distinct and important roles.
WISDOM Coaching™ is the story-based coaching methodology created to help children develop confidence, self-esteem, resilience, self-leadership, and other essential life skills. It defines what is taught and how children are supported through stories, conversation, and real-life application.
WISDOM Coach Certification is the official training and authorization pathway that prepares adults to deliver WISDOM Coaching™ with consistency, care, and integrity.
- WISDOM Coaching™ is the methodology.
- WISDOM Coach® is the certified role.
- WISDOM Coach Certification is the pathway that connects the two.
Certification is required to deliver WISDOM Coaching™. Only individuals who complete WISDOM Coach Certification through Adventures in Wisdom are authorized to use the WISDOM Coach® designation and deliver WISDOM Coaching™ to children and families.
This structure exists to protect everyone involved:
- Children, by ensuring coaching is delivered in a safe, ethical, and developmentally appropriate way
- Families, by providing clarity and trust in who is qualified to offer WISDOM Coaching™
- Coaches, by giving them a clear framework, scope of practice, and professional identity
Through the WISDOM Coach Certification process, Adventures in Wisdom ensures that WISDOM Coaching™ remains a consistent, values-driven approach, no matter where in the world it is delivered.
Learn More About the WISDOM Coach Certification Program
WISDOM Coach Certification is a proven pathway for adults who want to empower children in developing mindset skills and life skills, while building a coaching practice that is purposeful and sustainable.
If you would like to explore the certification process in more detail, including how the training is structured, what is included, and how coaches are supported throughout the process, you can learn more through the official certification overview offered by Adventures in Wisdom.
The certification overview includes:
- A video walkthrough of the WISDOM Coach Certification Program
- Detailed information about the training experience
- Resources and one-pagers that explain the methodology and support
To explore program details, investment options, and the certification process, visit the official WISDOM Coach Certification overview.
This web page is intended to help you understand what WISDOM Coach Certification is and why it exists. The certification overview will help you decide whether becoming a Certified WISDOM Coach® is the right next step for you.
WISDOM Coach Certification is a proven and effective program that gives coaches the curriculum, process, and support to do meaningful work with children while creating a business they love.
WISDOM Coach® is a registered trademark and WISDOM Coaching™ is a proprietary coaching methodology created by Adventures in Wisdom. Certification is offered exclusively through the Adventures in Wisdom WISDOM Coach Certification Program.