Creativity strengthens cognition

When Henry Ford wanted to improve transportation, he didn’t breed a faster horse; he invented something that didn’t exist yet. Pablo Picasso didn’t continue painting in the style he’d always seen. He challenged traditional representation and reimagined how we see the world. And when Marie Curie saw the potential of emerging imaging technology, she helped bring X-rays out of the lab and into the field, making the invisible visible.

Marian Howard founded The Howard School on that same belief: that the mind grows when we are invited to imagine, experiment, and build new pathways. Marian Howard, a woman of deep courage and creativity, refused to accept the limits others placed on her. She created a school that would do the same for children: not by lowering the bar, but by changing the path.

Seventy-five years later, we honor her legacy every day. We watch students arrive after a long season of hearing some version of “not like that” or “not here.” And then we watch what happens when they are truly known, when learning is designed for how their brains work. They find their footing. They take risks. They begin to trust their own thinking.

Creativity strengthens cognition. This is true for our teachers, too. Howard educators are grounded in the neuroscience of learning and research-informed education. That foundation gives them the freedom to be creative… to collaborate across disciplines, design instruction with precision, and open doors that students didn’t even know existed.

The Howard School is where developing brains meet possibility every day—an innovation ecosystem filled with joy and purpose. Here, your child is celebrated, their learning experience is transformed, and they develop strengths that last a lifetime.

As I reflect on 2025, I am filled with the deepest of gratitude for our school. I am grateful for Marian Howard, whose relentless courage has changed the lives of hundreds of young people since our doors opened. I am grateful for the teachers whose courage and creativity infuse our hallways with joy and optimism.  I am grateful for our students and their families who trust us to walk alongside them and witness all that these young people are. 

2026 will bring more!  We will stay creative.  We will stay courageous.  The Howard School is a remarkable innovation ecosystem, changing the way the world understands and celebrates the creative, courageous, amazing young people who walk our campus each day.

Dr. Anna B. Moore, Head of School