EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING, ADVOCACY & PRIVATE TUTORING
"Peace is not something you wish for; it's something you make."
- John Lennon
Peace of Mind is a supportive learning environment that cultivates confidence and inspires a love for learning .
In the educational journey, a starfish symbolizes continuous growth and adaptability, mirroring students' potential to broaden their skills and adapt in diverse learning scenarios. This is beautifully illustrated in Loren Eiseley's "The Starfish Story". In it, a wise man who often wrote by the ocean, one day saw a young girl tossing starfish into the sea. When asked why, she replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” The wise man pointed out the vastness of the beach and how her efforts seemed futile. Unfazed, the girl picked up another starfish and, throwing it in, stated, “It is making a difference. It did to this one.”
Often, the challenges and frustrations that come with navigating the complexities of the educational system mirror those of the man on the beach. Like the girl in the story, our efforts at Peace of Mind are to make a difference, one child at a time.
We are a team of professionals working together to provide exceptional, effective and authentic educational instruction through private and small group tutoring, consulting, and advocacy to students and their families in Columbia, South Carolina and surrounding areas.
Our team at Peace of Mind share diverse backgrounds and wide subject area expertise while holding similar ideals of how education should look and feel. We serve students of all ages from more than 30 different local schools and universities and seven counties across the state.
Students who attend Peace of Mind receive the highest quality support academically, socially and emotionally through developmentally appropriate, engaging and thorough instruction from certified educators and specialists in their fields.
“POM provides educational support for students in multiple subject areas, helps with organizational skills, and takes into account the overall individual student needs. It is a safe, comfortable space for kids to work with a caring and knowledgeable adult. How often do kids get that kind of focused attention from someone other than their parents? This kind of personalized investment in the overall success and well-being of the students is what makes POM special. [She] is SOLID on Precalculus homework because of Mr. G, I firmly believe she is able to succeed in this difficult class because of his work with her!!!”
– L.W.
“You are, and will always be, one of the most important and special people in both his, and our lives. Not hyperbole. Can never repay you for all the love, support and guidance you’ve given him. He is in a really great place with a terrific attitude re: life. It would have turned out very different…"
– M.A.
“He seems to be in a really good place - content and happy, self-assured and confident. He wouldn’t have those traits activated if he didn’t have you by his side.”
– M.Q.
“Receiving the additional help for my daughter has been truly amazing! … It has truly been a pleasure! We enjoyed the kindness, love, growth and friendships formed. [She] is torn… she wants to stay FOREVER.”
– A.R.
“It's hard to put into words how you helped our son and family. [He] wouldn’t be where he is now if it wasn’t for you, Mrs. Kristie. You helped save him on different levels. We will always be thankful for Sunnyside Academy. Micro schools are a special place that helps children in a way that other schools are not capable. Please don’t ever doubt what you are building.”
– J. D.
“It is a place where your kids learn and feel that they are having fun at the same time. You show personal interest in your students' achievement and success, you care!”
– V.A.
“Kristie Jones saved us last year and will forever be grateful to her.”
– A.D.
“Peace of Mind is a place with a more intuitive and individualized approach to helping my child. We have seen improvements in behavior and happiness with our child.”
– A.M.
“Peace of Mind has been a God-send because [he] was resisting my attempts to “help” him with homework. Our relationship was becoming toxic. Because of his tutoring sessions, he is passing all his subjects, keeping up with his assignments, and our relationship is great.”
– S.O.
“The best environment for neurodivergent learners. The best environment for overburdened students. The best environment for having the ability to include creativity and physical activity.”
– E.W.
“You are truly amazing and our angel. He has grown so much academically and also as a person and it has been a joy to watch him. Thank you again for making this happen and for all you have done for our family.”
– L.J.
“[He] had the best time! He was nervous to go and to be honest it took quite the effort to convince him. Afterwards he couldn’t stop talking about how much fun he had with Ms. Claudia and his two new friends. It was unbelievably beautiful to see him excited about reading for the first time in a very long time!!! We are ecstatic to have found you guys!”
– K.S.
“Peace of Mind is a lifesaver. We appreciate the support and grace.”
– A.P.
“Y’all do an amazing job! Peace of Mind is the ‘go to’ standard in Columbia and we ‘highly recommend!'"
– J.L.
“How would you describe Peace of Mind to a friend?
“smart + supportive + unique + open minded + loving + straight forward + honest + kind + flexible + accepting + aware + grounded + positive + amazing + professional + realistic + open arms + visionary + forward thinking + friend”
– K.W.
“Just major gratitude for providing this amazing opportunity for our beloved [child] (and our family - and all the others you support)”
– K.W.
“Don’t wait to try Peace of Mind if your child is going through an academic setback… sign up now!”
– J.H.
“[Her] confidence has grown tremendously around her math skills. She was afraid of math skills. She was afraid of math at the beginning of the year but seems much more confident now. She never complains about coming to Peace of Mind - she seems to really enjoy it.”
– J.P.
“Peace of Mind is organized and efficient with extremely competent educators. Wonderful, safe environment that makes children feel welcomed and boosts their confidence around learning. We are just so glad we found you. Thank you for all that you have already done to help [her].”
– J.P.
“Ms Vi is amazing and is doing great things with [her]...”
– L.K.
“Grateful for y’all and for such a wonderful learning environment!”
– A.S.
“Ms. Heather is the BEST!”
– J.D.
“Andrea Mundo is GREAT!”
– L.J.
“Thank you, Ms. Suzy for all of the support you gave to my child for years…”
– C.C.
“Please extend our thanks to Mrs. Barrineau for her help - [He] said he knew just what to write when he took the test.”
– K.P.
“I just want to say that if you guys are here again next year, I’m DEFINITELY coming back…”
– 7th Grade Student
“Thank y’all for being here. It is the best part of my week and I love being able to come in and getting my work done at the start of the week.”
– 6th Grade Student
We're incredibly proud to share the life-changing experiences of our community in the testimonials below. Their stories are a testament to the transformative power of education.
