ABOUT
Healing-Centered EducatorĀ
Life is too short to do something that doesn't bring you joy.
Healing-Centered Educator
We are all perfectly imperfect beings and shouldn't be afraid to show our flaws.
Healing-Centered Educator
You are in control of your thoughts, actions, and destiny.
Acosta Institute
Most would describe me as a mother, wife, and small business owner. But in reality, I am so much more than that. And so are you.
Society may put us in boxes, but that doesn't mean we have to stay there. So let's break free from who we think we should be and start living the fulfilling life we deserve.
Join me on a journey of self-love, self-discovery, and unapologetic confidence.
Mission:Ā
The Acosta Institute is a pioneering virtual educational institution dedicated to the exploration and application of healing-centered education, contemplative social science, and slow work. We center restorative and healing-centered paradigms to fundamentally transform the contexts in which individuals heal, grow, and thrive. Our mission is to foster innovation and drive progress at these intersections through a variety of platforms, including online courses, lectures, trainings, workshops, and summits.
At our core, we aim to be a second home for learning and community-building, where individuals are empowered to be active participants in their own transformation and the transformation of society.
Approach and Commitments Successful Online Business
Our values underpin the way we approach our work and inform our relationships with our students, collaborators, and wider community. They include being caring, playful, restorative, intergenerational, liberating, healing-centered, intentional, trauma-informed, contemplative, intersectional, trailblazing, rest respecting, sustainability minded, communal, grounded, generative, future facing, welcoming, inspiring, bold, and community-centered. We place high importance on embracing history and tradition, interconnecting with others, and cultivating an environment conducive to growth. We strive to foster a sense of humility and relaxation in our spaces, inviting everyone to learn, grow and simply be.
Founder:Ā
Dr. Angel Acosta is a visionary leader at the forefront of bridging the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness. As the Founder and Chair of the Acosta Institute, he is dedicated to fostering innovation at the intersection of healing-centered education, contemplative social science, and slow work. With a strong commitment to understanding and addressing structural inequality, Angel designed the Contemplating 400 Years of Inequality Experience as part of the 400 Years of Inequality Project. This mindfulness-based and contemplative approach supports communities in gaining a deeper understanding of systemic inequities.
Proudly representing his Dominican-American heritage, Angel holds a degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and completed his Ed.D. in the Curriculum and Teaching Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. Currently serving as the Director of the Garrison Institute's Fellowship Program, he brings his expertise in strategic learning and design to curate dynamic educational programming and ideation. Additionally, Angel serves as the Creative Director at the NYC Healing Collective, a community initiative that explores the intersection of healing, wellness, and societal transformation.
As a renowned researcher, Angel specializes in contemplative qualitative inquiry, employing mindfulness-based research methodologies to explore organizational and educational challenges. He is skilled in conducting focus groups and interviews for qualitative research, providing valuable insights for internal organizational assessments. Furthermore, Angel is an accomplished teacher and facilitator, leading restorative and healing circles, community grounding sessions, and workshops on racial literacy development. His keynotes and seminars cover various topics such as restorative approaches to education, social artistry, mindfulness practices, and youth development in a rapidly changing world.
With his extensive knowledge and experience, Dr. Angel Acosta is an influential voice shaping the fields of healing-centered education, contemplative social science, and leadership for social change. His commitment to creating a more equitable and compassionate society resonates throughout his research, teaching, and collaborative initiatives.
Our ServicesĀ
The Acosta Institute offers a range of services designed to provide transformative educational experiences. We offer a suite of online courses that integrate healing-centered education, contemplative social science, and slow work, along with regular lectures and trainings by experts in the field. We organize workshops that provide immersive, hands-on learning experiences, and host annual Healing-Centered Education Summits that bring together educators, scholars, and change-makers from diverse fields. These services are designed to inspire, affirm, nourish, and catalyze collective healing and transformation in the field of education.
