Our Story
The Office of Appreciative Education (OAE) is housed at Florida Atlantic University and manages and develops Appreciative Education initiatives, offerings, news, and resources. Jennifer L. Bloom, Ed.D., co-founded the Appreciative Advising and Appreciative Education movements and founded the Office of Appreciative Education. Amanda Propst Cuevas, Ph.D., works as the Director of the Office of Appreciative Education to support and expand Appreciative Education initiatives globally.
In 2002, Dr. Jenny Bloom co-authored with Nancy Archer Martin “Incorporating Appreciative Inquiry into Academic Advising,” the seminal article that launched the Appreciative Education Movement. In 2008, Dr. Jenny Bloom, Dr. Bryant Hutson, and Dr. Ye He published The Appreciative Advising Revolution book that outlined the principles and tenets of the Appreciative Advising theory-to-practice framework and is a hallmark of this movement. In the 2008 book, the authors expanded Dr. David Cooperrider’s four phases of Appreciative Inquiry to the six phases of Appreciative Advising.
This six-phase theory-to-practice framework is now being applied to all aspects of educational institutions at both the post-secondary and K-12 levels. Appreciative Education and Appreciative Administration applies the Appreciative Advising framework to organizational and administrative contexts. Appreciative College Instruction applies the framework within the classroom setting. To learn more, reference the selected readings below and peruse our Resources and Spotlights tab to learn how individuals and institutions have employed the framework, and to access research and publications on these topics.
Our Vision
Our vision is that Appreciative Education becomes THE theory-to-practice framework for leading innovative educational institutions around the world.
Our Mission
Our mission is that by utilizing Appreciative Inquiry, Appreciative Advising, and other Positive Psychology and change methodologies, the Office of Appreciative Education provides educational institutions and their representatives the resources and support necessary to unleash and realize the full potential of their organizations, employees and students.
Our Framework
In Appreciative Education, we say it’s all about the STUDENT…because if we’re not making decisions with our students’ best interest in mind, what are we doing?
Appreciative Education is an organizational and individual framework for creating a culture with high standards that embraces ongoing learning, change, and improvement. It provides an intentional and generative approach to bettering educational enterprises by focusing on the strengths and potential of individuals and organizations to accomplish their co-created goals.
Beneath the Appreciative Education umbrella are a host of theory-to-practice frameworks designed to optimize organizational and individual performances, including Appreciative Advising, Appreciative College Instruction, Appreciative Administration, and more.
Select Readings
Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L. & He, Y. (2008). The appreciative advising revolution. Champaign, IL: Stipes.
Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., He, Y., & Konkle, E. (2013). Appreciative education. New Directions for Student Services, 143, 5-18. DOI: 10.1002/ss.20055
Bloom, J. L., & McClellan, J. L. (2016). Appreciative administration: Applying the appreciative education framework to leadership practices in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Management, 31(1), 195-210.
Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., He, Y., Robinson, C. (2011). Appreciative college instruction: Becoming a Force for positive change in student success courses. Champaign, IL: Stipes.