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Facilitating Group Learning (review)

Adults learn best through well-managed conflict, especially in multicultural groups, says George Lakey, one of the most prominent practitioners of satyagraha – the force of truth as the universe arcs toward justice. Originally published in 2010, this second edition of Lakey’s pathbreaking book appears to be aimed at college and university instructors, but it brims with insights for educators of adults in many other settings: training for social justice and social service work, professional and technical training, and even religious education that values experience as well as book learning. Our best efforts as Friends take the form of leading each other toward truthful insights through respectful, cooperative arguments over ideas. George Lakey shows us how to follow this leading.

On Teachers (September 2020)

Spring Service Learning Camp

Dear Friends, especially Friends ages 12-18: You are invited to attend our Spring Youth Service Learning Camp at Quaker Oaks Farm in Visalia, CA, from April 10-14, 2017 (Monday – Friday). Come explore and learn about the Land, Water, and Indigenous People of Pa’an. We will trace the source of our water upstream and consider how we can all be Water Protectors. We will work together to plant Pollinator Habitat to restore the Earth. We will share our histories, and we will love one another across seeming divides – all through fun, interactive activities. For more information, see: https://quakeroaksfarm.org.

On Insight (March 2017)

My Quest to Change the Education System

A normal school day in a traditional public school is full of many issues that go against Quaker values. These issues tend to have a negative impact on students and, therefore, the world surrounding them. The issues include, but aren’t limited to, the ineffective use of textbooks in the classroom, students unconsciously being taught to hate certain subjects, students losing their love of learning, rushing in the classroom, over-reliance on standardized testing, and the ineffective use of homework. These issues and many others led me, a student, to focus on transforming the education system to make it better for both students and teachers.

On Beginning (March 2016)