Preventive Health Education
Teaching families how to recognize and address physical and mental-health concerns before they become crises.
Support that meets families where they are
Wellness, education, family support, survivor resources and community healing — connected, because families' challenges are.
Whole Child Wellness & Care
Healthy, safe and ready to learn
Preventive health education, mental-health literacy, trauma-informed support, referrals and essential-needs assistance.
Mental-Health Literacy
Community education that reduces stigma, builds understanding and helps families recognize when support is needed.
Trauma-Informed Student Support
Integrated support across school, youth groups and family programming that recognizes how trauma affects learning and behavior.
Family Referrals
Connections to medical, mental-health and social services so families can access the care they need.
Essential-Needs Assistance
Food access, emergency support and practical help for families facing financial hardship.
Mental Health First Aid Training
Mental Health First Aid training and community education that strengthen understanding of mental-health needs, crisis response and appropriate referral.
Part of our prevention and stigma-reduction workBecause wellness begins before a crisis hits.
Amir Institute School · Grades 2–12
Cultivating Servant Leaders
Second through twelfth grade, fewer than 10 per class. Academics first, reinforced by real work.
- Small class sizes. Fewer than 10 students per class means every child is known well by their teacher. No one gets lost or overlooked.
- Socratic curriculum. Students ask questions, explain their thinking and learn through discussion rather than memorization.
- Montessori-informed. Teachers provide structure while responding to each student's pace, interests and demonstrated needs.
- Evidence-based social, emotional and ethical learning. Led by Fatima J. Jordan, MS, LCMHC, LCAS — a licensed therapist with over 13 years of experience. Integrated into daily learning, not bolted on.
Experiential learning
A week of learning at Amir
Students don't just sit at desks. They apply academic skills through swimming, farming, service and the arts — every single week.
Monday
Boys Swimming
Confidence, discipline and physical wellness in the water.
Tuesday
Girls Swimming
The same program, so every student gets time in the pool.
All week
Farm & Garden
Students grow actual crops — agriculture, science and environmental stewardship.
All week
Farm to Family
Packing and distributing boxes to neighbors — math, organization, responsibility.
Friday
Community & Service Learning
Cultural learning that builds identity, pride and civic engagement.
Technology, arts & work-studyDigital literacy, creative expression and real-world application woven through the week.
Afterschool S.T.E.A.M.Open to public, private and charter school students in the community — a safe space to explore next-generation learning.
Students who struggled in traditional classrooms discover they actually love learning. Parents tell us their children ask to go to school on weekends because they finally found a place where they belong.
Early childhood care · The Garden
Visit The Garden
Where every child’s journey begins
The Garden is Amir Institute’s early childhood center — day-to-day childcare for our youngest children, plus the Parent + Me program that brings parents into the learning rather than leaving them at the door.
Parent + Me classes support early learning and kindergarten readiness through interactive sessions that strengthen the parent–child connection and build foundational skills. You learn alongside your child, so the progress carries on at home.
- Early literacy and language — vocabulary, sounds and stories, the habits that make reading come easily later.
- Social-emotional development — naming feelings, sharing, turn-taking and gentle self-regulation.
- School-readiness routines — the practical rhythms of a school day, practiced before the first one arrives.
- Family engagement — you leave each session with something you can actually do at home.
- Wraparound support — Garden families can use the food pantry, parenting workshops and job-readiness help like any other family here.
Parents tell us their children entered kindergarten above grade level and better prepared socially after participating in Parent + Me.
Youth development
Building skills, confidence and community connection
Saturday Leadership Academy
Small-group academic enrichment and leadership development for students who benefit from additional support, mentorship and structured learning time outside the school week.
Weekends · school-age studentsSummer Recovery
Educational and creative activities through the summer that prevent learning loss and keep children engaged — combining academics, arts, physical activity and community learning.
Ages 5–12 · summer monthsFuture Leaders
Evidence-informed, trauma-informed programming for adolescents and teens that builds skills, confidence, leadership and community connection — with safe space for growth and self-discovery.
Adolescents & teens
Family support services
Because what happens at home affects everything at school
Children carry household stress into school. Family support isn't separate from education — it's essential to it.
Monthly Parenting WorkshopsEducation and support on child development, mental health, discipline strategies, family wellness and practical parenting skills.
Job-Readiness SupportWorkforce development resources, resume assistance, interview preparation and connections to employment opportunities.
Food ResourcesConnections to local food pantries and the food bank, so families can meet basic needs.
Resource ReferralsConnections to housing assistance, healthcare, legal services, childcare, transportation and social services.
Essential-Needs AssistanceEmergency support for families facing immediate financial hardship or crisis.
Not sure where to start?Call us on (919) 237-3380 or send a message. We'll help you work out what you need — there's no wrong door.
Safety, dignity and confidential support
Led by Halimah Melton, Domestic Violence Coordinator, Amir provides survivor-informed community work that prioritizes safety, privacy and dignity.
Support is available confidentially. We do not require public disclosure of personal trauma — because healing requires privacy.
Survivor-informed educationCommunity awareness programming that helps people recognize warning signs, understand the dynamics of domestic violence and support survivors safely.
Safety planning & resource connectionConfidential support connecting survivors with legal services, emergency housing, counseling, financial assistance and safety planning.
Community healing spacesSafe environments where survivors and community members can access support, education and connection without judgment or forced disclosure.
Referrals to specialized servicesConnections to legal advocacy, emergency shelters, counseling, medical care and other survivor-centered resources.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (24/7).
Mental health crisis: call or text 988.
In immediate danger, call 911.
Single classes or a bundle
À La Carte Classes
Open to all: homeschoolers, online learners, and private, charter and public school students of all faiths. Students join a scheduled class with our educators, in groups of 10 or fewer, using the same curriculum and STEEAM approach as our full-time school.
English and Language Arts
Reading, writing, vocabulary, discussion and creative writing with HMH Into Reading and Into Literature.
Mathematics
Instruction, practice and real-world problem solving with Math in Focus.
Extended Science Lab
Hands-on experiments, with lab and safety gear included.
Extended Islamic Studies and Leadership
Surah memorization and meaning, character and servant leadership. Open to all faiths.
Farm to Pantry and Community Leadership
Growing crops, caring for livestock and packing food boxes with local pantries.
Mind and Body Leadership
Social, emotional and ethical learning: students learn to understand their emotions, focus and make caring, ethical choices, using SEE Learning from Emory University.
Embodied Agility and Leadership
Led by our experienced martial arts instructor. Martial arts and movement that build breathing, balance, focus, self-control and respect.
Community Swim and Water Confidence
With lifeguard supervision. Boys and girls swim on separate days.
Bundles
- Academic Core — English and Math
- Thursday and Community — Science, Islamic Studies, Farm to Pantry, Mind and Body
- Whole Child Leadership — Mind and Body, Embodied Agility, Swim
- Complete Part Time — all classes
À la carte classes open once minimum enrollment is met. Swim is seasonal. Transportation is subject to availability and arranged separately.
Ask About À La Carte ClassesAfter the school day
Afterschool STEEAM
A safe, structured place to keep learning after the school day. Open to Amir students and to public, private, charter, homeschool and online students.
When
Monday–Friday
3:15–6:00 p.m.
What
- Mon Technology
- Tue Engineering
- Wed Science
- Thu Math and homework help
- Fri Arts and project lab
Plus a daily feelings check-in and movement break.
Who leads it
Amir Institute educators and community partners.
Good to knowFull-time Amir families receive reduced rates.
Community life at Amir
Little moments. Big discoveries.
Explore what we do together — and try a little learning right here.
Your little discoveries
Collect a stamp for each activity you try
Storyteller
Habit Explorer
Calm Observer
Rhythm Maker
Just for fun, and just for this visit — nothing is saved and nothing is scored.
2nd Saturday · Monthly
Book and Cook
Literacy, cooking and cultural learning. Neighbors come together, share a meal and build relationships.
Make up a story together
A story-starter for the dinner table. Tap one from each row and we’ll write the opening line — then you and your child make up the rest out loud. It takes about two minutes.
1 · Choose who the story is about 2 · Choose what they found 3 · Choose where they wereNow say it out loud. Take turns adding one sentence each until the story has a beginning, a middle and an ending. There is no right answer — silly endings count.
Every Wednesday
Wellness Wednesdays
Wellness education and activities covering physical, mental and emotional health — practical and accessible.
Try one small thing
Tap one and we’ll suggest something you can do right now, in under a minute.
Seated is always fine. Skip anything that does not feel comfortable.
3rd Sunday · Monthly
Mindfulness Movement Matters
Movement, stillness and mental-health practice brought together for the whole community.
Breathe with the leaf
The circle grows as you breathe in and shrinks as you breathe out. Three gentle rounds — breathe normally or stop whenever you like.
Press start when you are ready.
Or: count five leaves
Prefer no timing? Tap each leaf as you notice it.
A quiet breathing exercise, nothing more — not advice or treatment of any kind.
4th Saturday · Monthly
Open Mic Night
Art, drumming, storytelling and cultural celebration — a stage for neighbors of every age to be heard.
Clap out a rhythm
Tap four sounds to build a pattern, then press play and clap along with it.
1
2
3
4
Can you repeat your pattern with someone beside you?
Coming soon
Counseling, Behavioral Health & Primary Care
Amir Institute is developing coordinated, culturally responsive pathways that connect students, families and community members with mental-health and medical care — in the same trusted place they already access education, wellness programming and family support.
Please note: these clinical services are coming soon and are not yet available for appointments, enrollment or insurance acceptance. Development is actively underway to ensure quality, accessibility and whole-person care.
Clinical leadership
FJFatima J. Jordan, MS, LCMHC, LCASClinical Director
MPDr. Maisha PesanteMedical Director
ZADr. Zainab Abdul-QaabidhFounder & Senior Fellow
Keep Me Updated
These programs run on community support
Small classes, service learning, weekly swimming and confidential survivor support all depend on community funding.