Ashoka strives to make empathy, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving (what we call changemaker skills) as valued in education as traditional academic skills, so that all students find their voices and can make a positive impact on the world. 

In order to achieve this goal, we created the Changemaker Schools Network, a national community of leading elementary schools that serve as models for cultivating these skills in students. Schools in the network share best practices with each other and benefit from opportunities to collaborate with other schools, connect with Ashoka's partners, present at conferences, and more.

Complete this quick and easy form to nominate a Changemaker School today!

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School (Washington, DC)
Maury Elementary School (Washington, DC)
Mundo Verde (Washington, DC)
St. Ann Elementary School (Bridgeport, CT)
St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic School (Bellevue, WA)
Georgetown Day School (Washington, DC)
Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School (Washington, DC)

Lake Forest Park Elementary School (Lake Forest Park, WA)
Mission Hill School (Boston, MA)

Prospect Sierra (El Cerrito, CA)




E.L. Haynes Public Charter School (Washington, DC)

A deep commitment to social justice informs virtually every aspect of  E.L. Haynes. From the “Race and Equity in Education” seminars all staff members participate in, to the restorative justice practices implemented school-wide, E. L. Haynes is ensuring all children have the opportunity to develop a sense of agency and be a changemaker.

More on E.L. Haynes Publc Charter School:

Spotlight on E.L. Haynes
 

Maury Elementary School (Washington, DC)

A Responsive Responsive Classroom School and a member of the DC3 Collaborative, Maury is a leader in whole-child education in DC public schools, and a true pioneer when it comes to engaging students, parents, and the school community at large. Its success is evidenced by the multiple examples of students taking leadership: rather than leaving playground design to the adults, for instance, students at Maury worked with their “Think Tank” teacher and an architectural firm to design the school’s recreation space.
 

Mundo Verde (Washington, DC)

Three “pillars” support Mundo Verde’s approach to education: sustainability, bilingualism, and expeditionary learning. One of more than 140 Expeditionary Learning schools across the country (a network headed by Ashoka Fellow Scott Hartl), Mundo Verde combines a commitment to stewardship and environmental systems with opportunities for students to synthesize their learning through meaningful projects. What’s more, empathy and understanding literally permeate the hallways, as students and teachers converse in two languages, and develop in the process an appreciation for multiple perspectives and backgrounds.  
 

St. Ann Elementary School (Bridgeport, CT)

Students at St. Ann Elementary School benefit from an environment that encourages innovation and initiative, resulting in projects such as Healing Hearts 4 Haiti. St. Ann is also part of the Diocese of Bridgeport, a leading Catholic Diocese and a role model for Catholic school systems across the country.

More on St. Ann Elementary School:

Letting Students Lead at St. Ann School
 

St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic School (Bellevue, WA)

Home to a student population where 20% of children have special needs, St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic School has developed a reputation for instilling empathy, teamwork, leadership, and an interest in changemaking in its students. Building on the myriad learning opportunities in empathy afforded by the student population, St. Madeleine Sophie uses Roots of Empathy and other programs to support both academic growth and social and emotional learning. 
 

Georgetown Day School (Washington, DC)


Innovative thinking is baked into Georgetown Day School’s history.  Founded by a handful of concerned parents, it opened its doors in 1945 – a full decade before Brown vs. Board of Education – as the first racially integrated school in Washington, DC. Today, Georgetown Day continues to innovate. The school was on the cutting edge of service learning when, nearly a decade ago, Change Leader Bobby Asher and a fellow teacher, C. A. Pilling, designed and led a trip to Ethiopia, where students were immersed in the local culture and participated in in-depth service projects. Today, every student, from prekindergarten to 12th grade, engages in service directly tied to the curriculum, and the school’s comprehensive service-learning program includes clubs that involve parents, students and teachers alike. Additionally, Georgetown Day has created an ecosystem of programming around character education, empathy development, and social justice. Georgetown Day requires all students to participate in a diversity seminar during 9th grade, and at a time in which many schools were only beginning to formally recognize a Gay Pride Day, Georgetown Day was celebrating Gay Pride Week.  The event is coordinated annually by the school’s Diversity Office, which itself represents an empathy innovation.

More on Georgetown Day School:

Teacher as Entrepreneur
Lunch with Bill Drayton and Teacher-Changemakers
Empathy at All Ages and Stages
And more here!
 

Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School (Washington, DC)


Founded by Ashoka Fellow Aleta Margolis, the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School is based on three core beliefs, beginning with a fundamental knowledge that children are inherently good and have an innate desire to learn, and that every child can be successful in a school context, and finally, that children’s energy, unique talents, and individuality are assets, not obstacles. A noble raison d’être, sure, but as we all know, the devil is in the details. Fortunately, the team at Inspired Teaching is matching practices to principles. Four consistent goals underpin all subject matter: every teacher, no matter the grade or discipline, aims to cultivate Intellect, Inquiry, Imagination, and Integrity. Teaching Residents teach alongside experienced Master Teachers, learning to understand what are known as the ABCDE’s of student needs—autonomy, belonging, competence, developmental appropriateness, and engagement—and to pinpoint the underlying source of students’ struggles and misbehavior. The school’s approach to discipline relies on relationship-based discipline: school “rules” are written not about “you” or “I”, but about “everyone” to communicate that care is taken for the community as a whole. Everyone learns. Everyone is safe. Everyone builds community. This practice invites students to think about their actions in terms of their impact on others, not their compliance with the school’s policies.

More on Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School:

Empathy in Action
ABCs of Learning
First Grade Changemakers
And more here!
 

Lake Forest Park Elementary School (Lake Forest Park, WA)


“Everyone a Changemaker” is a part of Lake Forest Park’s culture. The school truly lives the “Lake Forest Promise”: a promise to be courteous, kind, and respectful of others in language and behavior; to maintain a safe environment; and to respect the property of others. While Principal Aimee Miner reads the Promise over the intercom each day, she and the entire team are also careful to reinforce the message by modeling it in teacher behavior and through community partner programs like Roots of Empathy. Roots of Empathy has helped to forge a powerful bridge between Lake Forest Park and the surrounding community: the first mom to participate in the school’s program did not speak English and was new to the community. She then spread the word, and now, even two district employees signed up to be a part of the Roots of Empathy program. Lake Forest Park continues to be a leader by working with its district, Shoreline Schools, to share the successes of its Roots of Empathy partnership.

More on Lake Forest Park Elementary School:

Academics and Changemaking: A Symbiotic Relationship
How to be an Educator-Entrepreneur
6 Insights Into Creating a School Culture of Empathy
And more here!

Mission Hill School (Boston, MA)


Founded by famed educator (and MacArthur Genius) Deborah Meier, Mission Hill is widely considered a model among small schools, and those with a bent toward democratic education. Empathy is embedded not only in the school culture—Principal Ayla Gavins, for instance, maintains an open and inviting office, where students are invited to share their feelings and concerns—but in the curriculum and assessment structure as well. The school’s Five Habits of the Mind, for instance, include a practice called “viewpoint,” requiring students to question what it is like to “step into other people’s shoes,” to look “from a different direction,” or to reflect from a different history or expectation. But Mission Hill is more than just a great school with a great mission and a great history: it is home to a group of educators who are pushing forward what it means to be a teacher. You can read more about 3rd grade teacher and Changemaker School leader Jenerra Williams here, and watch Co-Leader and kindergarten teacher, Kathy Clunis D’Andrea in action in the behind-the-scenes videos here and here.  Kathy and Jenerra, together with the rest of the powerhouse team behind our Changemaker Schools, will continue sharing updates and insights on StartEmpathy.org, so stay tuned!

More on Mission Hill School:

A Visit to Mission Hill
The Dream School You Didn't Think Existed
Double Impact Teaching
And more here!
 

Prospect Sierra (El Cerrito, CA)


For some, organizing TEDxGoldenGateEd —which focused on celebrating and cultivating compassion in the classroom—might have conferred enough of a merit badge when it comes to demonstrating your commitment to social and emotional learning. But not for the teachers and administrators at Prospect Sierra. This past year, Britt Anderson, the school’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, launched “This PS Life,” taking a cue from Ira Glass “This American Life”. Through an on-going podcast series, the team set out to capture the school’s identity, and, in the process, to spur dialogue across the campus and to help seemingly isolated students realize they weren’t alone. To kick it off, Britt and her team organized different groups of children by birth order—ranging from oldest in their family to youngest—and recorded the conversations with a digital recorder. Next, they gathered groups of students together who shared a common experience, inviting students who were glasses to one conversation, students who were vegetarian to another, and eventually, students united by weightier subject matter, such as being multi-ethnic, or being raised by LGBT parents. Now, educators at Prospect Sierra are turning their attention to helping students turn empathy into action, by launching new projects, and equipping them with the agency they need to solve problems they’re passionate about. 

More on Prospect Sierra:

Classroom Charters at Prospect Sierra School: RULER Project
The Secret to Designing a Positive School Culture
The Story That’s Everywhere, Yet Overlooked
And more here!