The Hope Institute

The Hope Institute Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Hope Institute, Nonprofit Organization, 1973 Merryvale Rd, Vestavia Hills, AL.

Available to K-12 schools in Alabama, the Hope Leadership Academy is designed to inspire transformational change by introducing administrator and educator teams to the process of building a character-focused school culture.

Some of the most meaningful parts of leadership are the relationships formed along the way. Over three years, the Hope L...
05/15/2026

Some of the most meaningful parts of leadership are the relationships formed along the way.

Over three years, the Hope Leadership Academy cohorts learned together, reflected together, and built the kind of community that makes this work lighter and more meaningful.

And while graduation marks the end of one season, we’re grateful it’s not the end of the journey.

The community, support, and learning can continue through the Network. 💛

The 7th Annual Character Convening, hosted by , was a huge success! Members of .institute were able to network, present,...
05/13/2026

The 7th Annual Character Convening, hosted by , was a huge success! Members of .institute were able to network, present, share, and learn in a beautiful setting at .

📸 1: Hope Institute Team Members: Dr. Kara Chism, Dr. Jan Miller, Dr. Jennifer Hogan, Liz Huntley

📸 2: Dr. Jan Miller, Character Coach

📸 3: Dr. Kara Chism, Director of Professional Learning

📸 4: Laura Casey & Dr. Jennifer Hogan, Co-hosts for the Communities of Character Podcast

📸 5: Dr. Ben White, Hope Fellow

📸 6: Dr. Meghan Neil, Hope participant

📸 7: Dr. Anna McEwan, Dean of Samford College of Education, and Liz Huntley, co-founder of Hope Institute



“Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” -Oliver Wendell Hol...
05/10/2026

“Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes

To all the amazing mothers out there as well as the ones who are no longer with us, we celebrate you today!

05/04/2026

It was a Fiesta of Character at our inaugural Network Summit last week!

We created the Network for alumni of the Hope Leadership Academy, and our Hope Fellows planned the culminating summit.

We are grateful to Dr. Tom Lickona and all of the schools who joined us this year for the Network, and we look forward to next year with Michele Borba and her book, Thrivers! We are also grateful that the Alabama State Superintendent Dr Eric Mackey was able to join us and share inspiration during lunch.

Overall, it was a FANTASTIC day!

05/01/2026

The last session for the Year 2 cohorts of the Hope Leadership Academy brought us back together in Mobile, Troy, and Birmingham, and one truth stayed with us: The work doesn’t end.

Our guest presenter, character expert Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, said it best: “Character education isn’t a destination… it’s a journey.”

That journey is carried forward by educators who choose, day after day, to lead with intention and care.

We see you. We’re grateful for you. And we’re better because of you. 💛

Members of the Hope team were on the road this month to participate in the Character Measurement Convening Conference ho...
04/27/2026

Members of the Hope team were on the road this month to participate in the Character Measurement Convening Conference hosted by the United States Military Institute. The convening brought together educators, leaders and researchers to share best practices, tools and frameworks for assessing and forming character.

Congratulations to the following schools for being named 2026 National Schools of Character!Cherokee Bend Elementary Sch...
04/23/2026

Congratulations to the following schools for being named 2026 National Schools of Character!

Cherokee Bend Elementary School
Hall-Kent Elementary School
Homewood Middle School
Shades Cahaba Elementary (renewal)
Vestavia Hills Elementary West (renewal)

These current and former Hope Leadership Academy participant schools have been recognized by Character.org for "demonstrating a deep and sustained commitment to the
11 Principles and serve as models of excellence for schools across the country and around the world. These schools
illustrate how character development can be fully integrated into academics, relationships, leadership, and
community engagement, and they often mentor other schools seeking to strengthen their own character
initiatives."

The Hope Institute is proud to have been a part of the character journey these schools have been on for several years as they worked towards this goal.

Congratulations to Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary for being named a 2026 State School of Character!This former Hope ...
04/23/2026

Congratulations to Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary for being named a 2026 State School of Character!

This former Hope Leadership Academy participant school has been recognized by Character.org for "demonstrating strong implementation of the 11 Principles and building a culture where students learn to lead with integrity, responsibility, and respect. For many schools, this recognition reflects years of intentional effort to align practices, relationships, and learning
experiences with shared core values, and it often marks an important milestone on the journey toward national
recognition as schools continue to deepen and expand their work."

This year, 27 schools across 15 states have
been recognized as State Schools of Character. The Hope Institute is proud to have been a part of this school's character journey.

Address

1973 Merryvale Rd
Vestavia Hills, AL
35216

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