At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, faculty and staff at Penfield Central School District gathered on Opening Day to hear a keynote lecture from Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, a renowned author, professor, and educational expert.

The keynote kicked off the District’s embrace of Muhammad’s Five Pursuits framework, a model designed to ensure that all students feel seen, challenged, and supported in the classroom. These pursuits help teachers design instruction that connects deeply with students’ identities, sparks curiosity, and empowers them to think critically about the world around them.

What Are the Five Pursuits?

The model encourages teachers to incorporate five pursuits into their daily instruction, including:

• Identity: helping students learn about who they are, others around them, and who they can become.
• Skills: strengthening both academic and life skills.
• Intellect: nurturing curiosity and a love of learning through application.
• Criticality: encouraging students to be empowered to think deeply, raise questions, and engage with the world around them in meaningful ways.
• Joy: ensuring learning experiences center on happiness, creativity and fulfillment

“Integrating the Five Pursuits into daily instruction helps ensure that learning is meaningful and relevant for every student by supporting the whole child,” said Kumba Sankoh, Director of Curriculum and Student Supports. “Students develop not only academic skills but also confidence, creativity, and a strong sense of self. This approach fosters deeper learning by helping students make connections between what they learn and their own lives, strengthening understanding.”

Sankoh said that the Five Pursuits align seamlessly to the attributes of New York State’s Portrait of a Graduate and the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CRS) Framework, which outlines the essential knowledge, skills, and mindsets students need for success in college, careers, and life.

“The Five Pursuits help teachers bring the Portrait of a Graduate to life in daily instruction, supporting the goals of developing well-rounded students, building skills, pursuing deep thinking and inquiry, practicing ethical decision-making, and fostering curious, engaged learners,” she said. “The Five Pursuits create classrooms where students feel inspired, motivated, and excited about learning.”

Bringing the Five Pursuits to Life

When using the framework of the Five Pursuits, teachers are designing lessons that blend academic rigor with creativity, curiosity, and connection. For example, a reading lesson may ask students to analyze a text and reflect on how the story relates to their own experiences. A writing lesson may encourage students to express their ideas, build strong arguments, and take pride in their voices, and a classroom project may encourage teamwork, curiosity, and joy as students explore real-world problems.

In year two, the District is integrating Muhammad’s Genius and Joy resources across its elementary schools as supplemental learning opportunities for students. Genius and Joy is a research-based instructional approach that brings together literacy, identity development, and historical awareness. It includes a variety of texts, vetted by Muhammad, along with guides to help teachers facilitate the lessons effectively.

“What makes this resource especially powerful is its connection to real-world contexts, helping students see their learning as relevant and meaningful,” Sankoh explained. “It supports all learners in developing a deeper sense of purpose in their work and in who they are becoming. Ultimately, this helps us bring the New York State CRS framework to life in our classrooms in concrete and impactful ways.”

She also underscored the essential roles families can play in reinforcing identity, joy, and curiosity in learning.

 “As we integrate the Five Pursuits into instruction, we welcome families’ partnership,” she said. “Asking your child about what they are learning, celebrating their strengths, and encouraging their interests helps extend these pursuits beyond the school day.”