The Highlands Company

Nurturing Young Scholars. Graduating Culture-Makers.

What if education did more than prepare students for tests and college applications?
What if it helped young people discover who they are, how they are uniquely designed, and how their gifts can make a meaningful difference in the world?

At Innovate Academy, that vision is becoming reality.

Co-founders and Highlands Consultants Monica Gaglione and Amanda Ashworth are pioneering a transformative model of classical education that blends timeless learning with cognitive science, entrepreneurship, mentorship, career exploration, and guidance grounded in students’ natural abilities.

Their mission is deeply intentional: forming the whole scholar—head, heart, and hands—into thoughtful, passionate, and entrepreneurial leaders of culture equipped to pursue lives of significance, leadership, and lasting impact.

Inside Innovate Academy, joyful learning and deep discussion coexist with personalized pathways, real-world experiences, internships, and customized coursework designed to help students move beyond memorization into discovery, creation, and the confident application of their gifts in service to the world around them.

As Monica shares:
“When students begin to understand how they are uniquely designed—their natural strengths, patterns of thinking, and the ways they are best equipped to contribute—something powerful happens. They develop greater confidence, deeper clarity about who they are, and a stronger sense of direction for the future they are being called to pursue.”

We at The Highlands Company are proud to feature Innovate Academy’s remarkable vision for education and its commitment to nurturing young scholars into culture- makers.

Read more here:
A Classical Education for the Modern Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/2c3endh8

Self-Determination Theory of Motivation

Most people think of motivation as something you either have—or you don’t.

Self-Determination Theory offers a different perspective. First introduced by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, it reframes motivation as something that is shaped by conditions—specifically, our ability to direct our own choices, feel capable in what we do, and experience a sense of connection and belonging.

In her recent article, The Right Instrument in the Right Room, Highlands Certified Consultant Leanna Range-Norwood, EdD explores how this framework deepens Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) conversations. When paired with a clear understanding of natural abilities, it helps explain not just how someone is wired—but what those abilities need in order to thrive.

It’s a shift from viewing motivation as a personal trait to understanding it as something shaped by fit.

And in today’s evolving world of work, that shift changes everything.

Learn more: The Right Instrument in the Right Room: Using Self-Determination Theory to Deepen HAB Conversations https://tinyurl.com/dcxu84yp

From Friction to Flow: How Understanding Natural Abilities Improves Communication and Relationships

Some of the most frustrating communication challenges don’t stem from what’s being said—but from how each person naturally approaches the conversation.

When you begin to recognize those differences, something shifts. Frustration gives way to understanding. Conversations become more productive. Relationships grow stronger.

In this article, Highlands Consultant Mardee Handler Coaching & Consulting explores how awareness of natural abilities can transform the way we communicate and connect—at work and in life.

Read more: From Friction to Flow: How Understanding Natural Abilities Improves Communication and Relationships https://tinyurl.com/wr4y7kvy