Do you ever wonder if discussing values affects your child’s thinking? How do children learn values in a school community? Do they have ideas about the future?
Some answers to those questions are being highlighted in a project that fourth and fifth graders are currently working in on Lara Cannon’s art class for the Meher Schools’ 50th anniversary, which we are celebrating on the weekend of February 22 and 23.
Lara organized students into small collaborative groups and asked them to answer questions about what the school is like now and what it will be like in 50 years: 2075.
One group of three girls took time with their answers, even creating an illustration. They said they feel safe, respected, refreshed by nature, and included at school. They also added that they feel “sometimes it’s okay to be silly.”
Having them think about what they want for students in the future is a way of building empathy. They have to imagine what children they have never met would like and discuss how they would like them to feel. In actuality, the children enrolled in 2075 would be in their grandchildren’s generation. Number one on the girls’ list was wanting the students to feel free. They wanted them to feel special, as well as respected, safe, and included.
One of the girls illustrated the value of inclusion in a lovely crayon drawing of aliens coming to the school. They are wearing tall elf-like hats, and some are wearing glasses. It’s touching that she would pick the topic of inclusion as a value to illustrate. Her vision of true inclusion would include outreach as far as the galaxies.
The girls express more of their values in their suggestions for giving the future students a positive experience at school. There were ecological considerations with the suggestion of an eco-friendly roof garden and an underground playground. The children are now building 3-D models of the school buildings and grounds they imagine in the future. Their creations will be displayed at the anniversary event.
Talking about the future is a fun way for adults to encourage children to think about their values in a practical way. It’s also way of helping them feel empowered to help make the world a better place in the future. What does your family imagine the city you live to be like in 50 years? What are your children’s hopes for the environment?
Having children think this way is aligned with the Native American Seven Generations Principle of considering how decisions you make now will affect people in the generations that follow. The principle promotes responsible stewardship of the environment.
Our 50th anniversary is a touching opportunity for us all to think about the school values and all the people who have tried so hard to live those values over the years. We celebrate them and all of you who join with us in bringing compassion to life every day in vibrant ways.
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