Introducing the Drivers of Spiritually Supportive School Cultures

Research conducted by Dr. Lisa Miller and colleagues (published in the Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality) identified common denominators in schools that intentionally support spiritual development. These schools, diverse in geography, tradition, and student population, share a set of core practices, referred to as “drivers,” that foster spiritually supportive cultures. Following this foundational research, Dr. Miller added a twelfth driver, completing a framework that serves as a catalyst for deeper, more elevated spiritually supportive school environments.

The drivers are not a curriculum but a cultural blueprint. They offer a shared language, practices, and orientation that help schools cultivate meaning, connection, and ethical awareness across all levels of the community. They guide how educators, students, and staff interact, how mission and values are lived daily, and how the school creates an environment where every individual’s inherent worth is recognized and nurtured.

As your school community explores the possibility of engaging with the Awakened Schools Institute (ASI), the first driver to consider is Integrated Mission. This driver emphasizes the vertical integration of a lived and meaningful mission throughout every aspect of the school—embedding purpose into pedagogy, relationships, and culture. By aligning the school’s mission with daily practice, Integrated Mission ensures that the school’s stated ideals are not only aspirational but experienced by every member of the community.

The other drivers, which include Transcendent Practice, Intentional Lexicon,  Transformative Relationships, Meaningful Learning, Nature Consciousness, Ritual, Inherent Worth, Authentic Being, Authorized Keeper, Aspirational Values, and Spiritual Quest, collectively provide a framework for nurturing both individual and collective awakening. Together, they guide schools in creating environments that honor the full human spirit, support well-being, and cultivate connection, resilience, and purpose.