Case Study

Northwest Montana Schools

How One Coordinator Scaled Wellness and Recognition Across 11 Schools-Without Adding to Her Workload.

Overview

Northwest Montana Schools is a consortium of 11 schools serving approximately 500 employees. For years, Carrie-the district’s Wellness Program Coordinator-ran wellness and recognition programs manually, relying on paper, spreadsheets, and her own determination. But with limited resources and growing demands, she needed a way to deepen impact without increasing effort.

After partnering with Strive, Carrie finally had the support and tools to elevate her vision. The result: higher participation (over 80% adoption in every school), streamlined systems, stronger communication-and time back to focus on what matters most.

“We used to track everything with paper and pencil… it felt like just checking boxes.”

– Carrie, Wellness Program Coordinator

The Challenge: Disconnected and Isolated

Coming out of COVID, staff across the district were feeling isolated and disconnected. Recognition was inconsistent. Wellness programs were reduced to box-checking exercises. And Carrie, operating as a team of one, was overwhelmed trying to manage everything across 11 schools.

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Carrie’s goal was to offer meaningful, flexible wellness options and create a culture of recognition-but without a system to support her, the effort to scale that vision was unsustainable.

The Solution: Strive Became a Force Multiplier

“Strive has helped me meet employees where they are. I’m able to offer activities that feel personal and flexible-it’s no longer just checking a box.”

– Carrie

With its all-in-one digital platform and personalized support from the Client Success team, Carrie finally had a solution that:

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Eliminated Manual Admin Work

No more paper tracking or spreadsheets-Strive digitized it all. From logging participation to delivering rewards, the platform handled the backend so Carrie could focus on people, not paperwork.

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Freed Up Strategic Time

Instead of spending hours on logistics, Carrie could focus on increasing adoption, planning engaging activities, and aligning her programs with what staff truly needed.

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Enabled Personalization at Scale

Each of the 11 schools could have a tailored experience without requiring 11 times the work.

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Strengthened Communication Across the District

Push notifications through the app served as a second, vital touchpoint for messages that might otherwise get lost in overflowing inboxes.

“If I send an email and also send a push notification through Strive, people are more likely to pay attention. The app helps ensure nothing gets missed.”

– Carrie

Outcomes and ROI

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80%+ Adoption Across All 11 Schools

Every school in the district now has 80% or higher employee adoption—thanks to the app’s ease of use, sense of community, and Carrie’s ability to focus on engagement rather than logistics.

“It’s a platform that encourages connection—especially among staff who might not interact otherwise.”
– Carrie

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100+ Admin Hours Saved Annually

Strive replaced manual tracking, physical gift cards, and time-consuming reporting with automated tools. The result? Over 100 hours returned to Carrie each year.

“Having a tool I can count on is huge. It’s been a major time-saver. I rely on the data Strive provides to understand how each group is doing. It’s a total game changer.”
– Carrie

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Meaningful, Motivating Rewards

Strive replaced outdated gift card systems with a flexible digital rewards platform-allowing employees to choose what’s valuable to them.

“Employees get to choose their rewards… It’s much more motivating and meaningful than handing out generic gift cards.”
– Carrie

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2-Hour Average Response Time from Strive’s Client Success Team

Carrie found herself supported by a team that didn’t just understand the technologybut understood her world.

“The support from Strive’s Client Success team has been incredible. I genuinely look forward to our calls because I know I’ll be heard and understood.”

“Lauren just gets it. Her background in education makes it easy to explain what teachers are experiencing and what they need.”
– Carrie

Why Strive Works

For a wellness leader managing 11 schools with limited time and resources, Strive wasn’t just a platform-it was a partner. By taking administrative work off her plate, providing fast, personal support, and offering a flexible, engaging experience for employees, Strive enabled Carrie to focus on what truly matters: connection, culture, and impact.

“Strive takes so much off my plate, and lets me focus on what really matters.”

— Carrie

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