Dedicated to the Development of the Whole Student.

Harmony School’s mission is to prepare young people to live in and contribute to a heterogeneous democratic country. We do this by sensitizing young people to the delicate balance needed in a democracy between individual growth and community responsibility. 

We teach critical thinking and academic skills, nurture each student’s unique voice, all while promoting physical, social, emotional, and creative growth.

Since its founding in 1974, Harmony School has been dedicated to the historic purpose of schooling: preparing young people to participate thoughtfully and actively in our democratic society. Harmony School provides a setting in which teachers, students, researchers, administrators, parents, and community members come together to develop creative yet sensible educational theories, practices, and materials.

Under the direction of Steve Bonchek, M.Ed., Harmony’s early childhood, elementary, middle, high school, and community youth programs have pioneered imaginative approaches to:

• student/teacher relationships,
• integration of social services into the school environment,
• curricular and instructional design,
• student learning,
• school governance.

State officials, business leaders, professional associations, and numerous educators from around the nation have recognized Harmony School for its highly successful policies and programs.

Harmony School is accredited by AdvancED and is one branch of Harmony Education Center, a nonprofit 501c3 organization. Another branch is the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) which works to increase student achievement through professional learning communities called Critical Friends Groups, or CFGs.

The Harmony Education Center partners with the Deborah Meier Archive at Lilly Library and the IU School of Education Living-Learning Center as the Harmony-Meier Institute for Democracy and Equity in Education.

For Visitor Tours, please email [email protected] or call (812)334-8349 to inquire about registering for upcoming tours.

Harmony’s History … 

Founded in 1974 with four students, Harmony School has served over three thousand young people. Harmony School Corporation is an independent, non-profit organization operating early childhood, elementary, middle, high school and community youth center programs.

Harmony School is designed for the development of the “whole person”. The Harmony program enables students to achieve academic excellence, to feel good about themselves, and to see learning as a lifelong activity. It gives them a sense of personal control over their lives.

In 1985, the public school system demonstrated its support by selling to Harmony, for ten dollars, the 25,000 sq. ft. historic Elm Heights school building one block from Indiana University. The renovation of this historic building allowed Harmony to house its entire program under one roof for the first time in its history. Harmony’s 17 faculty and staff members serve around 200 full-time students ranging in age from 3 to 18.