Global Village Voice

Homeschooling is traditionally seen as something that conservative – mostly Christian – families do. Global Village School is a secular homeschooling program. We understand that secular families are interested in teaching their children lessons about ethics and responsibility without basing it all on religious doctrine. Global Village will be the official “school of record,” maintaining student files, providing written evaluations, issuing official transcripts, and providing diplomas upon graduation. We will provide secular curriculum (regular or customized) and individualized teacher support. Families can also choose to purchase curriculum only, or to work with Global Village teachers on selected courses. Some secular families may wish to have us develop a customized curriculum for them, and then work with it on their own. You are free to work with an entirely secular curriculum or you can blend in as much study of spiritual traditions as you like. Families can also use our learning styles profile, whether or not they wish to enroll.

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Posted under Education, Homeschooling

How can Unitarian Universalist (UU) families provide their children with an education aligned with UU values? Global Village School can help.

Founded in 1999, the creation of Global Village School was fueled by deep concerns about violence, discrimination, and the state of the planet, along with a compelling vision of a better world. We are an international K-12 homeschool diploma program that empowers students to cultivate their gifts and passions by engaging them in a creative, flexible education process grounded in the principles of peace, justice, diversity, and sustainability. We partner with schools, groups, and individual families to provide the kind of education that prepares students to be wise and capable stewards of the planet and each other.

UU families are welcome to enroll their children in Global Village School. Global Village will be the official “school of record,” maintaining student files, providing written evaluations, issuing official transcripts, and providing diplomas upon graduation. We will provide curriculum (regular or customized) and individualized teacher support. Families can also choose to purchase curriculum only, or to work with Global Village teachers on selected courses. Other families may wish to have us develop a customized curriculum for them, and then work with it on their own. Families can also use our learning styles profile, whether or not they wish to enroll.

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Posted under Education, Homeschooling

As we move into our 11th year of existence we’ve been looking back on earlier times.  Here’s a glimpse of 2002, just a few years after Sally embarked on the progressive homeschooling adventure that is Global Village School:

The drive to Sally Carless’ house is indicative of her nature. The road is a small, private road with huge boulders and wild sage lining its edges. Massive oak trees suspend their limbs above the road, adding a green canopy of vegetation, and breaking up the sunlight with patches of shade. You cross a creek over a small bridge, up a little hill and then back down. There, at the edge of the Los Padres National Forest, with avocado orchards to one side, sits a small older ranch house. Here, surrounded by natural serenity, is where you can find Sally Carless, founder and visionary of Global Village School.

Global Village School is a nonprofit distance-learning school founded in 1999 designed to teach tolerance, practical social activism, peace and an understanding for those of different religions, races, physical disabilities, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Global Village School offers customized K-12 curriculum and a high school diploma program. The School’s mission is to teach children how to become proactive in their own lives for social change and social awareness, while at the same time providing a safe haven for students who are harassed or ostracized in the average school environment. The ultimate goal is to provide a place where everyone “belongs,” and develops a sense of individual self-worth sufficient to produce a conscientious, proactive world citizen.

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Posted under Education, Homeschooling, Personal Growth

More about our Whole Child, Healthy Planet Curriculum Guides!

Each grade level contains core resources plus many extras – most likely much more than you will be able to get through in a year. Each curriculum guide includes:

1) A detailed list of books and resources for the year, along with information on where to get them;

2) A study guide with planning templates, and sample activities;

3) General information on the Global Village Whole Child Healthy Planet Method, including articles and coaching tips for parents about homeschooling in general, making the most of the program materials, assessment, etc.; and

4) Many useful and fun extras including a supplemental reading list.

Grades 5-8 are approximately 100 pages in length; Grades K-3 are 70-80 pages. Grades 5-8 have monthly recommendations on how to schedule the various materials and activities into 9 month-long units. Since there are so many different ways the resources for the younger grades can be utilized, Grades K-3 include more free-form general recommendations.

Check out samples in grades 1-8 here: http://www.globalvillageschool.org/k8-sample.html

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Posted under Announcements, Education, Homeschooling

The following recipe was written by Global Village High School student Kamron Yazdani in response to a Literature of Diversity assignment after reading The Secret Life of Bees.

Recipe for a Prejudice-Free Society

By Kamron Yazdani

“Peace-o-Pie”

10 lbs. love of humanity

1 teaspoon seeds of positive energy

1 teaspoon cream of martyr

2 cups wine of justice and mercy

1/4 cup freedom

1 pound tolerance and open-mindedness

5 teaspoons essence of unity

1 passport

Dash flavor and harmony

1 spoon of the sweet honey of nature

2 “peaces” clarified butter

Icing of goodwill

2 cherries of humor

Directions:

First, you need to add the base of the entire recipe and work with the goodness of the foundation, to enrich the final result. With that in mind, begin with 10 lbs. love of humanity. To get the recipe started, add a teaspoonful of the seeds of positive energy. Once initiative begins to take place, use 1 teaspoon cream of martyr to put yourself on the right path no matter what the cost. In order to enable the recipe to develop properly, you must include 2 cups of the wine of justice and mercy. To allow the recipe to rise fully, you must include 1/4 cup of freedom.

Next, you must use 1 pound tolerance and open-mindedness so that the flavors of the recipe are balanced. After that’s completed, add 5 teaspoons essence of unity to bring the recipe together. 1 passport is necessary to broaden the recipe. To unify the ingredients, you must use a Dash of flavor and harmony. 1 spoon of the sweet honey of nature will also be needed to sweeten the experience. One of the most important ingredients in this recipe is 2 “peaces” of clarified butter, which is used to enlighten and reveal the flavor. Finish the recipe off with the icing of goodwill, and make sure you don’t wait for it to cool. Finally, you must add two cherries of humor on top to lighten the mood of the dish.

This is a recipe best served with a side of humility and garnished with good intent. Do not serve cool. Must be kept warm for the flavors to reach their full potential.

Posted under Education, Homeschooling, Students and Alumni

Sally recently sat down to chat with the folks over at the HUB eAcademy about progressive education as part of a tele-seminar series exploring sustainability themes.  Please go to this page: http://www.hubhub.org/hubeacademy/index.php?id=1748

and scroll all the way to the bottom to hear the interview.

Posted under Announcements, Education, Homeschooling

The Global Village curriculum guides contain a multitude of resources, instructions on how to use them for a full year’s curriculum, and articles guiding parents through the Whole Child, Healthy Planet homeschooling process. Each grade level contains core resources plus many extras – most likely much more than you will be able to get through in a year.

The K8 curriculum guides are centered on the four core principles of the Earth Charter:

(1) Respect and Care for the Community of Life
(2) Ecological Integrity
(3) Social and Economic Justice
(4) Democracy, Nonviolence, Peace and Diversity

K-8 curriculum guides cover all of the core academic subjects in a way that engages students through a sense of enchantment, awe, and wonder as well as through incorporation of art, music, nature, imagination, and story.

An early review of the curriculum:

We received our “Whole Child, Healthy Planet” curriculum guide last week. We are so excited that we found Global Village School. I feel as though the curriculum was written for our family. I truly never thought I’d find a curriculum… that “fit” us, but now we have! Thank you for helping us navigate an even more meaningful path of homeschooling with our kids. The resource list in “Whole Child, Healthy Planet” allows me to spend a little less time hunting for the right materials and more time enjoying learning with my kids! What a gift. – Beth C-R

To learn more, see http://www.globalvillageschool.org/k8-curriculum.html

Posted under Announcements, Education, Homeschooling

Imagine how the world would be different if children received the type of education that nurtured their individual gifts and empowered them to be capable, confident, and wise stewards of the planet. Imagine the kind of adults these youth would become if they were provided with learning experiences that value peace, compassion, justice, sustainability, appreciation of diversity, and the living of an authentic and meaningful life.  Imagine what kinds of decisions they would make as voters, consumers, and parents if they knew the truth about the impact of their governments’ policies and actions around the world, if they understood the real costs (human and environmental) of the “cheap” items they buy, if they knew where to go to get news that isn’t filtered by the corporate media. Imagine the kind of world they could create if, from a very early age, they were exposed to historical and modern day examples of people who are changing the world through nonviolent means.   Read More…

Posted under Activism, Education, Homeschooling

Lately we’ve been talking about how the word “homeschooling,” scares some parents.  In particular some find that their extended families and friends don’t understand or support what they are doing.  One of our staff members stumbled upon a humorous that chronicles the trials and ultimate triumphs of the process for one family.

Posted under Homeschooling, Resources