Our Curriculum
With LOVE as the foundation, there are four major themes as found in Kelly Guinan’s work Peace Quest (2002) and Go with Peace (2005).
Peace for Me - help children discover the wonder and beauty within themselves, where peace begins, with activities to feed body, mind, and spirit. Develop self-knowledge, understanding, resilience, and confidence, as well as healthy management of emotions.
Peace for Us - explore daily relationships - stressing cooperation, kindness, conflict resolution, compassionate communication, and belonging to community.
Peace for Everyone - encourage a justice mindset (economic, racial, gender, and faith) and awareness of the possibilities for peace within and among groups of diverse people.
Peace for the Planet - address creation care, sustainability, and appreciation of our natural world.
Peace for Me - help children discover the wonder and beauty within themselves, where peace begins, with activities to feed body, mind, and spirit. Develop self-knowledge, understanding, resilience, and confidence, as well as healthy management of emotions.
Peace for Us - explore daily relationships - stressing cooperation, kindness, conflict resolution, compassionate communication, and belonging to community.
Peace for Everyone - encourage a justice mindset (economic, racial, gender, and faith) and awareness of the possibilities for peace within and among groups of diverse people.
Peace for the Planet - address creation care, sustainability, and appreciation of our natural world.
Through participation in this life enrichment program, children will learn to show love for themselves, others and the world by:
- Knowing that they are loved.
- Valuing their own personal gifts both in products of their art work and in their ability to communicate effectively (self esteem).
- Expressing themselves in clear non-threatening ways both verbally and through their art (compassionate communication).
- Respecting and valuing differences (racial, cultural, gender preferences, and all people).
- Modeling coping skills in dealing with an aggressive or threatening situation (self confidence).
- Acknowledging that their feelings are valid and that they are their own, not someone else’s.
- Identifying positive options for dealing with conflict as alternatives to fight/flight behaviors.
- Really listening when others are speaking.
- Being able to ask for help and to cooperate with others in group activities.
- Developing trust in and respect for the adults that work with them.
- Demonstrating self-esteem through creativity as their abilities in various art skills grow.
- Selecting healthy options for eating.
- Deciding how to use Reuse, Rethink, Reduce, Recycle, Renew, and Rejoice as choices for sustainability.
- Appreciating the wonder of creation and learning ways to be stewards of all life forms.
