A Fayetteville woman has a vision for a school focused on peace education on Murchison Road.
Latoya Parker, who has a doctorate in educational leadership, has been a social studies teacher, social worker and college adviser throughout her working career. In late 2022, however, she was ready to strike out on her own.
That’s when she started Innergy Educational Consulting Company . Parker works one-on-one with school-aged children locally on peace practices to deal with anger, stress and anxiety.
The Fayetteville native teaches about living at peace with oneself, others and the environment — such principles that can be traced to the earliest teachings of nearly every world religion, and figures like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Dalai Lama, Parker said.
Parker said peace is the foundation of Innergy’s curriculum, which helps children improve their grades and social relationships and strengthen their mental health.
She said that the core of the program is encouraging students to “fill their peace tank” by finding tranquility in activities like music, art and exploring nature. That way, when inevitable conflict, heartbreak, letdown and insecurity strike, kids are less likely to respond in ways that could get them in trouble or have negative life-altering consequences, she said.