"Students who feel connected don’t need danger to feel fully alive. They don’t need guns to feel powerful. They don’t want to hurt others or themselves. Out of connection grow both compassion and passion—for people, for students’ goals and dreams, for life itself."

Rachael Kessler

The PassageWorks Institute (previously known as PassageWays), founded and directed by Rachael Kessler, is dedicated to transforming the culture of classrooms, schools and districts so that the inner life of students and teachers is safe, nurtured and welcomed. By “inner life” we refer to that essential aspect of human nature that yearns for deep connection, grapples with difficult questions about meaning, and seeks a sense of purpose and genuine self-expression. For twenty years, our model for supporting these yearnings in young people has fostered the development of compassion and character, humility and excellence, and skills for collaboration and dialogue that are essential for a just democracy and a sustainable world.


Click the video below to learn more . . .


The mission of the PassageWorks Institute is to motivate, prepare, and support educators to implement its proven model for nurturing the inner lives of students and teachers.

The vision of the PassageWorks Institute is of a world in which all young people are nurtured in their search for meaning, deep connection and integrity, building character and excellence in ways that foster compassion for themselves and for the people and world around them.

Just imagine …

How your life would have been different if:

  • Teachers had encouraged you to express the yearnings in your heart?
  • Classrooms had been safe for you to talk about what mattered most to you?
  • You had been shown respect by elders and peers for the courage of your authenticity?

How you would have grown if:

  • Your mentors had taught you about stillness and silence as ways to learning, creativity, and fulfillment?
  • Teachers had taught you that taking risks and making mistakes are essential to inventing new solutions to problems old and new?

How our world would look and feel if:

  • Children and teenagers were offered experiences that lead to respect and empathy for people who differ from them in appearance, belief, and class?
  • Our classrooms and schools became communities where compassion and forgiveness arise naturally from meaningful connections?


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2355 Canyon Blvd. Suite 104, Boulder, CO  80302, Telephone 303.247.0156
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