Ashoka
Momentous Institute
Momentous Institute is a private school, but 80% of its students are on free or reduced lunch and pay tuition on a sliding scale. Some of the Momentous Institute’s innovative practices include home visits before school starts, a monthly home-visiting program for children in the PK-3 class and a dedicated parent center so parents feel they have a space in the school. Students also engage in meditation and learn about the parts of their brain. And whole families participate in community days where they learn about social and emotional learning. All students are encouraged to think about perspective, compassion and empathy throughout their curriculum. Each class decides on a project to take acts of kindness into the world. The youngest children practice doing kind acts for each other in the classroom setting, and the older students do service projects in the larger community.
Heather Bryant
Heather has been in the field of education for 27 years, as a teacher in a Title One public school, at Momentous Institute, and in administration. Equal access and opportunity for children have always been a passion for Heather. Over her years in education, it has become more and more clear to her that the children who are truly successful are not necessarily those who are the smartest or who have the best grades, but the children who are adept at managing themselves and their relationships. Moving the Momentous Institute towards recognizing the importance of social-emotional health and developing strong social- emotional practices school-wide has been something she has excelled at and am proud of the progress we have made.