This collection of essays by specialists in education presents psychological research and empowerment strategies to bring about better academic outcomes. As a philosophy of education scholarly text written by authors with backgrounds in education and psychology, this book brings psychological research and principles regarding empowerment into the classroom and presents specific empowerment strategies that can be used to bring about better academic outcomes. The book's philosophical foundation is that empowerment should be the underpinnings of education. True education is not just facts and formulas, but discovering oneself, developing values that drive goals, and becoming independent in thought and behavior. The purpose of this book is to help teachers, administrators, and parents transform school-aged youth into enthusiastic, intellectually curious, self-directed learners who are motivated toward academic success, self-discovery, and civic engagement. "The book offers an enjoyable reading experience, as chapters flow in smooth succession to first introduce the reader with the big ideas of empowerment, and then, to include a wide variety of psychological and educational tools for practical application for guiding students to their place of empowerment through education." -Josephine Prado, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham "This book incorporates theory, longitudinal research, case studies, and personal experience to develop its theme. The cited research reflects the success of empowerment concepts within the last few decades." -Dr. Edward J. Sullivan, Associate Dean for Teacher Education at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York