Bridges to Success: Invitational Education in Action

William Purkey, a magnificent bridge builder and exuberant educator, promoted success through Invitational Education (IE). His framework for joyful learning inspires educators around the world. As a dynamic speaker, he used metaphors and vivid illustrations to convey insights for irresistible learning experiences that lead to personal transformation. He was a man of action who continued to promote Invitational Education and guide an enthusiastic IE team into his ninety-fifth year. The International Alliance for Invitational Education (IAIE) was designed as a forum for sharing best practices, and we will explore applications of Invitational Education in the classroom and beyond. Insights of William Purkey, Betty Siegel, John Novak, and other leaders in Invitational Education demonstrate the practicality of this Theory of Practice. We invite you to join us for a brief tour of our classes, our university, and joyful journeys beyond the classroom.

As a bridge builder, William Purkey created connections and built strong relationships. He developed Invitational Education and co-founded the International Alliance for Invitational Education (IAIE) with his dear friend, Betty Siegel, former president of Kennesaw State University. They founded IAIE with a team of eleven dedicated scholars. Bridges provide access, and IAIE provides access to the brilliant insights of these amazing leaders. As we enjoy their legacy, founding members like John Novak and Peter Wong inspire and amaze us with their insightful leadership. William Purkey and Betty Siegel exemplified Invitational Education and mentored many leaders who became life-long friends.

Invitational Education is a framework for promoting kindness and raising the expectations of education. William Purkey, Betty Siegel, and IAIE members inspired fans and friends to celebrate Invitational Education each year during conferences. Collaborative interaction with leaders from Australian schools and the Hong Kong Alliance for Invitational Education perpetuates the inviting school movement. As we consider the amazing legacy of William Purkey and Betty Siegel and enjoy our ongoing collaboration with the talented leaders of IAIE, we look forward to vibrant results and a positive impact on many lives with the overarching goal to “make schools the most inviting places in town” (Novak, 2024; Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein, 2016).

The Sydney Harbour Bridge provides a metaphorical example of this great work. This bridge, which provides a beautiful, vital link between the northern and southern regions of Sydney, quickly became an iconic landmark and a national treasure of Australia and the world. We enjoy spectacular photos and breathtaking vistas of and from this bridge, which is a significant connector. William Purkey and Betty Siegel connected scholars internationally and made a tremendous difference in many lives with Invitational Education. As we follow their example and motto, we are constantly exploring innovative ways to create places “where teachers love to teach and students love to learn” (Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein, 2016; Purkey & Siegel, 2013).

The beautiful bridge of Invitational Education features the three pillars or foundations of IE: 1) the democratic ethos, emphasizing the importance of each individual, 2) the perceptual tradition, featuring the interpretation of behavior from the inside-out, and 3) self-concept theory, working with intrinsic motivation (Novak, 2024). They all connect directly with I-CORT. Invitational Education theory and practice authentically creates and sustains warm and welcoming learning environments. IE theory advances five basic tenets: intentionality, care, optimism, respect, and trust [I-CORT] to optimize personally and professionally inviting behaviors. These tenets align with the five powerful Ps of Invitational Education: 1) people, 2) places, 3) policies, 4) programs, and 5) processes (Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein 2016; Anderson, 2019). The five powerful Ps and the components of I-CORT provide a framework for deep learning. William Purkey and Betty Siegel inspired teachers to become passionate educators who make a profound difference in many lives.

Intentionality
Intentionality is the guiding force for I-CORT. In our university, administrators, faculty, and staff have worked for years to provide programs and policies that invite students to enjoy higher levels of learning and innovative academic success. Our former president Betty Siegel led the way, and people throughout our university work to make it a warm, welcoming place. Our programs and policies are intentionally designed to put students first and enhance the learning experience in ways that align with the overarching goals, elements, and domains of Invitational Theory of Practice (Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein, 2016; Purkey, Novak, & Fretz, 2020). This intentionality emphasizes the value and boundless potential of each individual.

Care
As we walk into the classroom at the beginning of each semester, we extend our opening invitation for optimal learning. We emphasize how much we care about each student as we discuss goals, learning outcomes, and plans for the semester. We give students opportunities to introduce themselves and share their stories during activities in our introductory sessions. As we launch the classroom community, we share our own stories about teaching and our learning journeys. This may range from a visit to the Great Barrier Reef to exploration of Uganda, the pearl of Africa. William Purkey and Betty Siegel emphasized the value, creativity, and reliability of each person. We follow their example by highlighting potential and providing understanding and insight throughout the semester. We collaborate with our BCOE Advising and Student Success Center to focus on the importance of each individual and promote empathy for successful educational experiences (Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein, 2016; Purkey, Novak, & Fretz, 2020). Everything we do in the classroom is designed to promote success and show that we care about each student.

Optimism
We design classroom sessions to promote the enjoyment of life and exuberance that William Purkey emphasized in his presentations and his lifestyle. As our students complete a field experience each semester, we emphasize multimodal projects to build bridges for optimism and enthusiasm for learning. Students convey optimism as they participate in literature circles, design creative projects with digital stories, and travel beyond the classroom through virtual field trips. We follow the example of IE leaders as we seek to ensure that university programs work for the benefit of all and encourage active engagement through significant content (Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein, 2016). While we encourage optimism in the classroom, we prepare our students to focus on the needs and interests of elementary students in a field experience. Thus, they begin to build bridges for their own students. This encourages everyone involved. Our students are pleased when elementary children look forward to their classroom visits. Then they apply their knowledge of innovative strategies to create inviting learning experiences. This prepares them for future teaching success and a greater impact on student learning.

Respect
Bridges provide access and enhance opportunities. William Purkey and Betty Siegel gave us access to their thoughts and touched our hearts as they made themselves vulnerable and shared their stories. We respected their consistent thoughtfulness and depth. John Ivers was one of the many students who developed deep respect for William Purkey. When he attended one class with Dr. Purkey, he knew that his life would never be the same, and this was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. John Ivers is a leader who exemplifies Invitational Education and lives a life of profound dedication to the encouragement and upbuilding of others. He builds bridges constantly and shares insights that dazzle and inspire us. This type of depth and respect influences the deep-seated structure of schools. In our university classes, we lead activities and discussions to encourage depth and empathy. While students build relationships with each other, they also build relationships with collaborating teachers through interviews in key points of the semester. This prepares them to broaden their perspectives and use the lens of a teacher more effectively. Then they realize the profound importance of respect in all aspects of the educational experience.

University policies and procedures are intentionally designed to promote respect, and meaningful collaboration is valued. Class activities and discussions highlight the value and the importance of building a classroom community with a culture of care and deep respect for every individual. We encourage students to share their voices and carefully consider the classroom environment they will establish in their own classrooms.

Trust
Through classroom collaboration students learn to trust each other and develop meaningful relationships. Invitational Education highlights the importance of providing a pleasant, comfortable, and aesthetic learning environment which nurtures growth and promotes trust (Purkey, Novak, & Schoenlein, 2016). Reliability, genuineness, truthfulness, competence, and knowledge are keys for establishing this type of environment. We promote these trustworthy patterns of interaction to augment the benefits of this environment. From the beginning of the semester, we establish trust and a pleasant rapport with students. The university itself is a safe, pleasant, and caring environment in which students feel comfortable. The education program is an extension of that atmosphere of trust.

We intentionally design our classrooms to build trust and create comfort zones for learning. Class sessions are designed to provide encouragement, so students will thrive in a nurturing environment. Students have experienced joy and satisfaction from seeing plans and dreams become reality as they learn to teach effectively. A teacher candidate commented, “The connections I made this semester have been so rewarding, and it makes me excited for the future.”

We constantly invite students to new levels of learning. After virtual trips to the rainforest in the classroom, actual trips to the rainforests of Ecuador and Belize inspired lifelong learning in new ways. Students in university study abroad programs marvel at beautiful vistas, and their world expands. For instance, students enjoyed the biodiversity safari experience while touring Murchison Falls National Park in northwestern Uganda, Jinja - the Source of the Nile, and the equator crossing at Kayabwe and Kasese in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Enthusiasm for study abroad led Dr. Siegel to encourage collaborations between faculty and students of Kennesaw State University and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Some students have completed doctoral degrees in collaboration with us after study abroad experiences.
We join with William Purkey, Betty Siegel, and current leaders of IAIE to invite students to discover new horizons. This expands our view of what is possible and empowers us to actualize more of our potential collaboratively.

Conclusion
We enthusiastically follow in the footsteps of bridge builders like William Purkey and Betty Siegel as we look forward to mentoring opportunities and collaboration to make the world a better place. When an IAIE conference in Hong Kong emphasized bridge building, Betty Siegel shared an excerpt from the poem, “The Bridge Builder,” by Will Allen Dromgoole (Doud, 1931/2013). In this poem, an elderly man crossed a chasm and went back to build a bridge to span the tide. His fellow traveler asked about this because the man no longer needed a bridge to complete his journey. After the man noted that a young man following in his footsteps might need some help across the chasm, he responded, "Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!"

References
Anderson, C. J. (2019). A leader’s emotional self-control and management of others impacts a school’s climate. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 25, 39-57.
Doud, C. (1931/2013). Father: An anthology of verse. Isha Books.
Novak, J. M. (2024). The evolution of Invitational Education: From POP to TOP. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 30, 93-96.
Purkey, W.W., Novak, J. M., & Fretz, J. R. (2020). Developing inviting schools. A beneficial framework for teaching and learning. Teachers College Press.
Purkey, W. W., & Novak, J. M., (Allyson T. Schoenlein, Ed.). (2016). Fundamentals of invitational education (2nd ed.). The International Alliance for Invitational Education.
Purkey, W. W., & Siegel, B. L. (2013). Becoming an invitational leader: A new approach to professional and personal success (2nd ed.). Humanix Books.

Image by KellieJane