How can we best prepare our children for the future?
Posted on Mar 24th, 2008
by 
Jessica
Jessica
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for March 24, 2008:
A few ideas...
Education
I would love to see improvements in our education system and in our attitude towards education. People often rise to meet expectations. And yet, we often dumb-down education for younger and older children.I would love to see children in America receive a more classical education, learning multiple languages and reading texts that demand more of them. I would like to see their individual strengths fostered. We should teach our children about the world, its languages, cultures, darkness and light, and how they can make an impact through the way they live their lives.
Community
Our society is deeply individualistic. Many children grow up without a sense of community or a sense of direction. They grow up merely surviving instead of flourishing and using the best parts of themselves to serve a purpose in the world. I think children, and really all people, need more community. We need to build those communities ourselves and look at how we can create meaningful connections and support structures in our lives for adults and children alike.
Nutrition
Nutrition is of the utmost importance. I grew up drinking soda and eating doritos. I don't even feel comfortable calling doritos food. We serve our children fast food lunches at school and soda machines are everywhere. This impacts the child's mood, ability to think clearly and long-term health. Soda machines and unhealthy snacks should be banned from schools. On a individual level, we can educate our children and make sure they are eating a healthy diet. I would, of course advocate a vegetarian diet because it can also help our children develop a healthy relationship to the world around them, with an understanding that their actions have an impact on the environment and other living creatures.
I have to add a little addition here to my philosophical bits above based on some of the comments I've gotten for this blog. The ideas above sound theoretical, but we have the chance to put them into action everyday. Education, community and nutrition are three of the most important parts of my life and who I am in the world. That's why I want to share them with everyone else, including you here, reading my blog ;)
I went to such a fantastic Quaker high school called Sandy Spring Friends where these things were nurtured in me. That's where I became vegetarian, became an activist, led a chapter of Amnesty International, read Tolstoy, performed Shakespeare, traveled to Italy, worked with a Navajo community on the reservation, volunteered, wrote poetry in Spanish and studied modern dance. It was remarkable. I always loved learning, but by the time I went to college I really had a wonderful foundation and larger sense of the world and a better sense of myself. The school even had a Peacemaker award they gave out to a senior student every year, along with the best athlete, top student, etc. I'm so proud to say I received that award in my last year there.
Sandy Spring is k-12 and they do a wonderful job bringing students of all ages together. They have community days, community plays, etc. They have a dorm and many international students. They give out scholarships every year.
This is a private school and I'm so thankful to have had the chance to go there. I went to public school until 8th grade and felt numb through most of it. Now, the school we go to does make a difference, but if we, as adults strive to create such an environment in our own lives, then that is the environment we will give to our children. It is about the world we create everyday, with our actions. It is about taking the time to make sure we are spending our energy on something meaningful and healthy. In some ways, for me, it's about working for a company like Gaiam, that promotes healthier lifestyles and changes the way we think in society. It's about teaching people to cook vegetarian food to feed their souls and their bodies without causing so much harm to the environment and violence to other creatures.
We create this civilization.
Education
I would love to see improvements in our education system and in our attitude towards education. People often rise to meet expectations. And yet, we often dumb-down education for younger and older children.I would love to see children in America receive a more classical education, learning multiple languages and reading texts that demand more of them. I would like to see their individual strengths fostered. We should teach our children about the world, its languages, cultures, darkness and light, and how they can make an impact through the way they live their lives.
Community
Our society is deeply individualistic. Many children grow up without a sense of community or a sense of direction. They grow up merely surviving instead of flourishing and using the best parts of themselves to serve a purpose in the world. I think children, and really all people, need more community. We need to build those communities ourselves and look at how we can create meaningful connections and support structures in our lives for adults and children alike.
Nutrition
Nutrition is of the utmost importance. I grew up drinking soda and eating doritos. I don't even feel comfortable calling doritos food. We serve our children fast food lunches at school and soda machines are everywhere. This impacts the child's mood, ability to think clearly and long-term health. Soda machines and unhealthy snacks should be banned from schools. On a individual level, we can educate our children and make sure they are eating a healthy diet. I would, of course advocate a vegetarian diet because it can also help our children develop a healthy relationship to the world around them, with an understanding that their actions have an impact on the environment and other living creatures.
I have to add a little addition here to my philosophical bits above based on some of the comments I've gotten for this blog. The ideas above sound theoretical, but we have the chance to put them into action everyday. Education, community and nutrition are three of the most important parts of my life and who I am in the world. That's why I want to share them with everyone else, including you here, reading my blog ;)
I went to such a fantastic Quaker high school called Sandy Spring Friends where these things were nurtured in me. That's where I became vegetarian, became an activist, led a chapter of Amnesty International, read Tolstoy, performed Shakespeare, traveled to Italy, worked with a Navajo community on the reservation, volunteered, wrote poetry in Spanish and studied modern dance. It was remarkable. I always loved learning, but by the time I went to college I really had a wonderful foundation and larger sense of the world and a better sense of myself. The school even had a Peacemaker award they gave out to a senior student every year, along with the best athlete, top student, etc. I'm so proud to say I received that award in my last year there.
Sandy Spring is k-12 and they do a wonderful job bringing students of all ages together. They have community days, community plays, etc. They have a dorm and many international students. They give out scholarships every year.
This is a private school and I'm so thankful to have had the chance to go there. I went to public school until 8th grade and felt numb through most of it. Now, the school we go to does make a difference, but if we, as adults strive to create such an environment in our own lives, then that is the environment we will give to our children. It is about the world we create everyday, with our actions. It is about taking the time to make sure we are spending our energy on something meaningful and healthy. In some ways, for me, it's about working for a company like Gaiam, that promotes healthier lifestyles and changes the way we think in society. It's about teaching people to cook vegetarian food to feed their souls and their bodies without causing so much harm to the environment and violence to other creatures.
We create this civilization.
Access: Public
children
August 2008
So beautifully thought out and elaborated. I believe that until more thinking persons operate at the highest level of societal decision making, it's going to have to be introduced from at home… I encourage you to do your bit, and further to encourage others to do theirs too. :-)
Thanks again for contributing. Love Sherrilene
Ah, I love you Jessica!!!
Fantastic ideas… but I have to ask you how you're planning to propagate them. The reason I ask, is the tone you've used here. Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I don't think you intend to take action on these ideas… hang on, here's a better way to put it: I don't think you beleive that you can do enough to drive action on these. I'm only doing this to jolt you a little - and hopefully elicit a reaction from you towards implementation.
I 'would love to have this, that and the other happen', but it doesn't always work out that way. Unless, I do something to make it happen.
Sending lots of love, strenght and light your way. Bug hugs!!
Thanks for the comments all. And, Shriyansi, thank you especially for the comment about the tone here. I should certainly know better than to use such a passive voice :) You are quite right to question my own action here. And, I'm so sorry the tone is misleading, believe me, I am not one to advocate changes to be made by higher-ups and “society.” I certainly think it is up to us to be the change and the points I mentioned above are particularly central to the way I live my life and what I try to share with all people, not just children.
So, in terms of implementation, I am creating community in my life and it's an extraordinary one, I must say. It is centered around my Tao practice. We have classes at each other's homes, teaching everything from veggie cooking to financial management to qi gong to the Buddhist Heart Sutra. We have a community magazine for which I have written several articles and poems. So, that's very exciting to me. We've created a unique network of people who can come together and help each other grow, a real support structure. There aren't many children in it yet, which is part of the reason I've used the tone you see above. I don't have children yet, but may in the future. However, children are welcome in our community and there are some. When we have big events they come along and are can participate. The community members are welcome to bring their kids to many events, especially parties.
In terms of nutrition, I do plan on feeding my children healthy vegetarian food, if they arrive :). I also have taught and teach people how to cook healthier so they can share that with their whole family. Now one of my first students is teaching her own cooking classes! In terms of education, we often have discussions on literature, philosophy, film, culture, etc. We even have book clubs and language classes now and then.
I spend most of my time educating myself, learning from others and teaching other adults the above. I think we must change the consciousness of the caretakers and decision makers to allow a different context for our children. My own home is a central community gathering place where I hold classes, parties (these are usually potlucks and such, healthy, where children could easily come and not be exposed to anything unhealthy), and simply provide a safe place for people to hang out and get some good energy and food.
Hi, I like the discussion going on and thought I'd add a comment to Jessica. I am assuming that you are talking exclusively about “traditional” eduation which is the dominant type of education most children receive. Have you looked much into Montessori schools or Waldorff? I'm not trying to sell it, as a Montessori teacher myself, but this pedagogical philosophy seems like the ideal you are looking for…We don't provide hot lunches and encourage good nutrition, we all eat together each day and have discussions on Current Events once a week, the kids take Spanish and art, and then all the lessons are taught with materials, no desks, 6 kids/lesson. The concept of Montessori is that we “follow the child” It might be worth looking into. I personally think the philiosphy of learning is so real and child-based that it is purely SHOCKING that we haven't integrated Montessori as a part of public education. (minus Public Montessori schools.)
Thanks Rebecca!
I have heard about Montessori schools and visited a Waldorff school as well. It sounds fascinating. I will read more about it. Can you tell me the general principles that guide the system?
Oh, and by education, I am talking about traditional education, but also the dominant paradigm which guides the way we think about educating our children, even at home or outside of school.