The Rite Way Blog

At the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) conference a few weeks ago David Blumenkrantz and Jen Mendez collaborated to host and convene a conversation on "Rites of Passage in Educational Design.” In response to enthusiasm and inquiries Jen Mendez will be hosting a continued conversation – a collaborative webinar to address a number of questions that the participants in that gathering wanted to explore further. Come join the conversation and find out about how youth & community development through rites of passage can be a transformative story for individuals, schools, families and communities. Questions such as: “What are rites of passage and where did they come from? Why do you use the term youth and community development along with rites of passage? How are they different from a rite of passage program?  How can I begin a rite of passage in my school? Who in our community should be involved in rites of passage? How do you begin to bring a new paradigm into a larger diverse community?” By thinking about designing education with the goal of youth and community development through initiation and rites of passage, people reframe education within a “story” of initiation. This “story” opens up the opportunity to think differently and connect with others who can help stimulate conversations that lead to more intentional whole systems approaches to educating and helping our children come of age. One of the most powerful resources available to us all for shaping our own "house" and impacting the future is education. Not traditional education but, education informed by traditional wisdom for the purposes of youth and community development. Perhaps a small and slow solutions approach is appropriate to shift consciousness about how we are going about the business of education and youth development? There are decades and decades of research to support this and, as Dr. David Blumenkrantz might say, all you need to know you already know and all you need is already within your community. Youth & community development through rites of passage is a whole systems approach to help us move from "what's my story" and "what's your story" to "what's our story" that is shared between youth and their community (and then their community with other communities). This has the potential to become a larger, more defined movement of sorts as Steve Hargadon pointed out at AERO. Youth and community development through rites of passage within and for your place, culture, community and nature is a link and reciprocity between contemporary western science and the way “traditional wisdom” can help us move from a consciousness of the “Me” to a “We.” Register Today! Edge Alliance Online Workshop 6/9/15 @ 2:30 EST: Youth & Community Development through Rites of Passage