Invitational education is the process by which people are cordially, creatively, and consistently summoned to realize their potential, emphasizing messages transmitted by people, places, policies, programs, and processes. Based on the democratic ethos, perceptual tradition, and self-concept theory, it offers a perspective for addressing, evaluating, and modifying the total school environment and lets educators assume an invitational stance consisting of five assumptions related to respect, trust, care, optimism, and intentionality. Invitational education must be applied in five areas: people, places, policies, programs, and processes. A four-level classification system describes what occurs in and around schools and provides a starting point for analysis and prescription: intentionally disinviting, unintentionally disinviting, unintentionally inviting, and intentionally inviting. The level of the message depends upon how and why educators do something. Invitational education encourages educators to enrich their lives in four basic dimensions: being personally inviting with oneself and with others and being professionally inviting with oneself and with others. Ten strategies for making invitational education a consistent part of educators' lives include preparing the environment, developing trust, reading situations, and ensuring delivery. Strategies for managing conflict include concern, confer, consult, confront, combat, and conciliate. Strategies for inviting change include the inviting family model and the invitational helix. (Contains 13 references.) (SM)