The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark is offering a 8-week peace curriculum beginning on September 9th for elementary students K-6th grade. There will be a three-fold focus, exploring peace within yourself, peace with family and friends, and peace in the community. Handling difficult emotions, ways of self-calming, problem-solving, and community service will be discussed. Children will participate in a variety of peacebuilding crafts and activities such as making a personal peace pole, contributing to a paper peace quilt, walking the labyrinth and meditation.
The UUFN is a community that strives to forge a culture of responsibility, tolerance and harmony (peace).
There are two kinds of peace. Negative peace which is merely the absence of violence. While certainly a step in the right direction, we would like to focus on Positive peace. Positive peace is the presence of human values such as justice, harmony, freedom, and equality.
The purpose of this curriculum is to be proactive rather than reactive in the teaching of peaceful living to children. The curriculum strives to nurture responsible, self-aware, and independent thinkers who respect the needs of others and consider the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
The focus of the entire curriculum will be on self-regulation, learning and choosing activities that help to calm the body and spirit. To this end, beginning on week two, every week will have a component where children are given half the class to practice various activities such as movement, breathing, arts, and crafts that will give them outlets for their emotions and energy.
Additionally, each week will have a focus on the skills that make for a peaceful life; communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, empathy and civic engagement.
Contact Andrea at dre@uufn.org or 302-368-2984 with any questions. The UUFN is located at 420 Willa Road, Newark DE 19711.
These classes are open to the public. All are welcome.
These classes are being offered in conjunction with the Delaware Peace Week Project.
