Research: Professor Yong Zhao at the University of Oregon has been making headlines recently with his call to reimagine education in the United States. He states that “all human beings are born with the capacity and desire to learn…but their environment can either suppress or encourage that drive.” The school environment must be both stimulating and supportive, and allow kids to pursue individualized goals that build on their strengths rather than identify differences as flaws that must be fixed.

Practice: This humanistic approach is the very basis of a personalized education. We place the student and their individual goals at the center of their program, and commit ourselves to helping them be successful by implementing the right amount of support along the way. This looks different for every child and is crucial to encouraging student success. The right amount of support allows students to recognize their abilities, comfortably accept new challenges, increase their independence, and advocate for their needs.