North Carolina Society for Ethical Culture
Ethics School for Children
The North Carolina Society for Ethical Culture has been providing ethics classes for children since 1993. We are a humanistic, educational and religious movement whose purpose is to create a better world through promoting ethical actions. We are dedicated to the ideal that the highest value is human worth, and that our relationships to each other are of greatest ethical concern. We are committed to the worth and dignity of the individual, and to treating each fellow human being in a way that can bring out the best in him or her. We serve children between the ages of 6-13 and meet at the Arts Center in Carrboro, N.C. While parents membership in the Society is encouraged, it is not a pre-condition for enrollment in our Ethics School.
Our Approach
Our approach is non-theistic and non-denominational, welcoming children of all religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds and recognizing that we all share common beliefs about what it means to be a decent human being. While the primary mode of instruction will involve improvisational theater, we will be using art activities, story telling, music, games, celebrations and social action projects as well. Attempts will be made to incorporate important aspects of each child's cultural background into the curriculum by soliciting stories and ideas for mini-celebrations from their parents at the start of the session. Because the classes will contain children who vary widely in age and developmental level of understanding, and attempt will be made to guide each child's level of participation in accordance with their maturity level.
We will use improvisational role playing, story telling, art activities, music, games, celebrations and social action projects to explore (and work towards mastery of) the following universal ethical principles:
Caring
Respect for Self and Others
Tolerance
Justice
Self-Mastery
Moral Reciprocity-The Golden Rule
Cooperation
Non-Violent Conflict Resolution
Respect for Diversity
Freedom to Think for Yourself
2007-2008 PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Classes will be held on the Second and Fourth Sundays of the month from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm at The Arts Center in Carrboro. Here is the schedule of classes:1. Sunday, September 9: ' Cooperation and Working Together For the Better of All'
2. Sunday, September 23: 'What is the Golden Rule? and How Can We Follow It?'
3. Sunday, October 14: 'The Importance of Fair Play in Games and Life'
4. Sunday, October 28: 'The Virtue of Courage - Facing and Mastering Our Fears with Courage'
5. Sunday, November 11: 'Helping Others to Help Themselves' - Preparation for Social Action Project with 'Stop Hunger Now'
6. Sunday, November 18: (3rd Sunday Celebration with Adults) 'Stone Soup' Celebration with Adults (no separate meeting room)
7. Sunday, November 25: (No Ethics School, Thanksgiving Break)
8. Sunday, December 9: 'How Do You Celebrate Winter Solstice? (Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, Ramadan,etc..)- Different Sub Cultures and their Celebrations'. Special Foods brought in by Parents, Holiday Songs.
9. Sunday, December 16: (3rd Sunday Celebration with Adults) ' Winter Solstice Celebration with Adults' (no separate meeting room)
10. Sunday, December 23: (No Ethics School, Winter Vacation)
11. Sunday, January 13: 'The Virtue of Self-Improvement - We strive to get better and better all the time'
12. Sunday, January 27: 'Celebrating Diversity - We are All Special and Important in Different Ways'
13. Sunday, February 10: 'The Virtue of Caring for One Another - How We Show We Care about Self and Others'
14. Sunday, February 24: 'The Importance of Gratitude and Appreciating The Good in Our Lives'
15. Sunday, March 9: 'The Importance of Keeping Our Promises and Telling the Truth'
16. Sunday, March 23: 'The Virtue of Creative Problem Solving. How to take a bad situation and make it better!'
17. Sunday, April 13: Plan for Earth Day Social Action Project and 'How Kids Can Change the World!'
18. Sunday, April 27: Earth Day Social Action Project
19. Sunday, May 11: Prepare for End of Year Celebration with Adults
20. Sunday, May 18: (3rd Sunday) End of Year Celebration with Adults, 'What We Learned in Ethics School This Year'
(Sunday May 25, 2008 - 2008-2009 Planning Meeting for Teachers, Volunteers and Parents)
Teachers
Classes will be taught by Anoushka Brod (who has taught our Ethics School in the past and is a member of The Transactors Improv Company) along with volunteers from NCSEC and parent volunteers who have specific talents and abilities to share. Anoushka Brod is a highly skilled teacher of improvisational theater who incorporates ethical lessons in her work with children and teens. She is able to encourage all members of the class to contribute to the best of their abilities and at an appropriate developmental level. Clark Jones will be leading the musical portion of our program. The program will be guided and coordinated by a Licensed Psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with children and adolescents in group educational settings, and who is a member of NCSEC.
Costs
The cost for this program will be free for the entire school year for children of members and a $50.00 fee (first child and $25 for each sibling who also attends) for children of non-members. However, we have scholorships for any family who is sincerely unable to afford the regular fee. If this applies to you, please ask The Ethics School Coordinator about receiving a Spence Leighton Scholarship when you contact us. This fee will include materials used during the regular class hours. However, there may be occasional requests that families bring in items like canned food for social action projects. Each family will be allowed an initial class for no charge in order to decide whether or not the program meets their needs. Session costs will be pro-rated for those who join the group in the middle of the season. However we strongly encourage those who may be interested to start in October. Baby sitting for children between the ages of 2-10 will be provided by a teen aged baby sitter during platform Sundays by request (no Ethics School on Platform Sundays). While membership in the NCSEC is strongly encouraged for parents, it is not a pre-condition for enrollment, and should not deter a family from enrolling their child in our program.
For More Information
To call for further information or to enroll your child or children please contact the Ethical School Coordinator at 919-960-0566 or send an email message to: info@ncethicalsociety.org
The NCSEC meets each Sunday at 11 a.m. at the
ArtsCenter, 300 E. Main Street, Carrboro, NC. On the first and third Sundays
our format is a platform, or lecture on an ethical issue. Child care for
young children ages 2 and over is available at all platform meetings. On the
second and fourth Sundays, we discuss the issues raised at the prior platform.
The NC Society for Ethical Culture is a member
of the American Ethical Union, founded in 1876.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Please direct all questions, comments, or suggestions to: webmaster@ncethicalsociety.org
