The glorious seedling that is a child's spirit needs to be protected, nurtured, and strengthened. It matters that children are fully aware of their own inner light, that they are able to call on their inner resources: creativity, courage, contentedness, acceptance, forgiveness, and happiness. We need to teach children at a young age to keep an open mind and heart; to maintain an awareness of their world and their impact on the people around them; to look at their influence in the grand scheme of things. In order to help kids achieve this, parents need grounding, community support, and resources in raising children with today's rapidly changing and often bewildering expectations. Our children's well-being and spirit of cooperation are enhanced through parent and community involvement in their education. By stepping into their world, we are able to see things more clearly from their perspective, and children come to feel more integrated in their community. Families get a taste of the learning that is occurring in our children and tend to support that learning by modifying their own actions regarding social responsibility, environmental awareness, and creative expression. In this way, we are truly changing the world through children. This book is a step by step guide incorporating best practices for developing a variety of family and community inclusive programs, and the means to support this method of teaching young children.
