back-to-school

Mel Foster and
Allen Einstein

Propel To Excel

The Einstein Method helps teachers motivate students to be their best.

JACKIE HEADAPOHL MANAGING EDITOR

A

llen Einstein and Mel Foster didn’t know
each other the day they met at Coco
Fairfield’s in Berkley.
Sitting in the booth behind him, Mel eaves-
dropped as Allen, a retired teacher who taught
for 32 years in public schools and former Pistons
photographer for 37 seasons, explained how the
Einstein Education Ecosystem had experienced
early success — with lots of initial teacher presen-

tations — but was now challenged to maintain
momentum. EEE, Allen shared, uses the kind of
innovative techniques teachers don’t learn in col-
lege, but are proven to help troubled students expe-
rience success.
Allen, who lives in Bloomfield Hills, went on to
say that he had refined his method at Birmingham’s
Berkshire Middle School with a pilot program he
named Project 2000. Now, he and his project part-

ner were bringing their “brain breaks” and other
tools to teachers throughout Metro Detroit.
Mel, with more than two decades at J. Walter
Thompson as a creative director, had always loved
working with nonprofits and charitable founda-
tions. With a lot of success with national and inter-
national consumer brands under his belt, Mel, who
lives in West Bloomfield, figured he could help.
“When I heard Allen talking about this over my

LEFT TO RIGHT: Staff at Pepper Elementary in Oak Park participate in a brain break ‘Got Ya.” Counselors from Summer in the City present their nonverbal responses drawings to the group.

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August 23 • 2018

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