The Real Education Project

Narrative-based education for resilience, empathy, and human connection.

The Real Education Project partners with schools, libraries, and community organizations to help young people develop the skills that matter most but are least intentionally taught: listening, empathy, ethical reflection, and the ability to live well with others.

What We Do

We use story as a learning environment. Through books, audiobooks, and facilitated discussion, The Real Education Project integrates reading, listening, reflection, and dialogue to support both academic learning and human development.

Our Core Narrative Projects

The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline

An Audie Award–winning audio-first narrative and scriptbook used in classrooms to support moral imagination, historical understanding, and respectful dialogue.

Maggie Vaults Over the Moon

The foundational project of The Real Education Project, centered on resilience, grit, and perseverance. Shared with thousands of students across public, private, and parochial schools, Maggie continues to anchor our work in character formation.

Active, Classroom-Tested Work

Over the past decade, The Real Education Project has engaged thousands of students through school visits, classroom partnerships, and community programs in public, private, and parochial school settings. Our work is shaped by real classrooms and real conversations, refined in practice rather than theory alone.

Stewardship

The Real Education Project is developed and stewarded by Grain Valley Publishing, an independent publishing and educational organization dedicated to stories that strengthen resilience, empathy, and moral imagination.

Learn more about Grain Valley Publishing →

Learn More

Educators, librarians, and community partners interested in learning more about our work are welcome to get in touch.