On-site, In-service Programs
Care Relationship: Friends Schools and the Religious Society of Friends
Engage in lively discourse and resource sharing about Friends schools and the Religious Society of Friends. Topics may include developing effective and meaningful relationships between meetings and Friends schools and strengthening practices for care relationships. Engaging in dialogue and nurturing positive interactions between Friends meetings and Friends schools is an important aspect of Friends moving ahead into the 21st century.
Basic text: The Care Relationship
Friends Education: A Visual History
William Penn envisioned a society dedicated to religious toleration, participatory government, and liberty. Central to this Holy Experiment was his belief that all children deserved a moral education. Using images from ten Friends schools founded in or near Philadelphia before the 20th century, participants explore an educational philosophy now lived in 78 Friends schools across the country, rooted in three centuries of faith and practice. Using historic photos from the archives of the oldest Friends schools, we discuss the themes that they illustrate and share what the images evoke for us in contemporary Quaker education.
Basic text: Philadelphia Friends Schools
Mindfulness in Teaching and Learning: CORE Skills and Habits of Mind
Through disciplined practice and experiential inquiry, participants explore a variety of contemplative methods that can be implemented with any curriculum to support the development of self-awareness, stress reduction, empathy, emotional intelligence and social skills. Participants strengthen the core skills underlying all learning: concentration, observation, and open, receptive awareness with a positive, curious attitude. In Friends schools, this program integrates the rich connections between mindfulness practices and Quaker practices that nurture mind, body and spirit.
Basic text: Tuning In
On-Site In-Service Programs and Presentations
- Sessions can be tailored to fit any audience: faculty, administrators, trustees, students, parents.
- Sessions can be tailored to fit various timeframes including two-hours to half-day, whole-day, or multi-day.
For more information, contact Info@friendscouncil.org.
Quaker Philosophy of Education: An Exploration
Friends schools are part of a three hundred-year tradition. This program reviews research and ideas exploring the Quaker dimension of Quaker education, through stimulating conversation and collaborative inquiry…
- about how we are implementing a Quaker philosophy of education
- about meeting for worship for self, colleagues, students, as way to build community and inspire spirit at heart of school
- about resources and models for deepening and engaging Quaker life of the school community
- to enjoy reflective collegial community.
This session lays the groundwork for future learning and reflection on how we implement a Quaker philosophy of education in Friends schools.
Basic text: Readings on Quaker Pedagogy
Quakerism and Quaker education: A Conversation with Parents
What draws families to Quaker education?
What are the roots of Quaker history and belief?
What is “Quaker” about Quaker education?
What are the Quaker testimonies and how are they relevant in today’s world?
The goal for this parent workshop is to generate discussion that begins to answer these questions for families in Friends schools. Through individual, partner, and whole group reflection, parents engage in an overview of Quaker history and beliefs, and how they influence the life of a Friends school. (two-hour program)
Basic text: Various pamphlets including What Does A Friends School Have to Offer, Meeting for Worship, Towards A Clearer View, Quaker Decision-Making.