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International Alliance for Invitational Education

The Institute for School Innovation (ISI) has become an affiliate of the International Alliance for Invitational Education® (IAIE) based upon our mutual aspirations to bring forth human potential based upon the core values of trust, respect, optimism, care, and intentionality. Invitational education is a theory of practice, designed to "create, maintain, and enhance human environments that cordially summon people to realize their potential in all areas of worthwhile human endeavor."¹ The International Alliance for Invitational Education was founded by Dr. William Purkey and Dr. Betty Siegel to advance the principles of invitational education around the world.

"Invitational Education provides a guiding theory for creating, maintaining, and enhancing truly welcoming schools. Rather than relying on one program, one policy, one place, or one process, Invitational Education addresses the total culture or spirit within the school. The goal is to make school a more exciting, satisfying, and enriching experience for everyone—all students, all staff, and all visitors. This effort goes far beyond 'restructuring' or 'reforming,' for its goal is to transform the fundamental culture of the school by centering itself on optimism, trust, respect, care, and intentionality. Invitational Education provides both a language of transformation and a consistent theory of practice" (Purkey & Novak, 2008, p. 19).

Project CHILD brings invitational education to the classroom level when all of the CHILD 20 Essential Components are fully and faithfully implemented. When the entire school becomes involved with Project CHILD, and the school leadership embraces the principles of trust, respect, optimism, care, and intentionality throughout the building, the school becomes transformed as an inviting CHILD school.

Click here to find CHILD schools that are successfully implementing the CHILD 20 Essential Components within the framework of invitational theory and practice.

¹ Purkey, W.W. & Novak, J.M. (2008). Fundamentals of Invitational Education. GA: International Alliance for Invitational Education, p. vii.