About

Integral Education: From the Cradle to the Kosmoa

Exploring the leading edge of educational theory and practice
August 2–7, 2009
Whidbey Institute, Whidbey Island, WA

Integral education stands out as one of the most pertinent and practical means of creating positive change in ourselves and the world.  This seminar will bring educators of all age groups together from around the globe, educators who are seeking the necessary vision, skills, and processes to fully serve students and the world that we inhabit.

Integral education is an emerging field, propelled by people who seek to push the envelope of what education can be. The seminar will provide an inspiring environment to meet with colleagues and to network with a small but growing community that clearly understands that addressing a more complete spectrum of personal, cultural, and systemic realities at play in education is one of the most powerful ways to begin effecting the changes we hope to see in the world.

Some of the core questions we will be asking ourselves are

   * How can education coherently address the whole human being, a being of body, mind, and spirit, immersed in cultural meaning making, social structures, and natural systems?
   * How can we embody an integral perspective in all aspects of curriculum, teaching stances, activities, and assessment?
   * In a universe unfolding into increasing consciousness and complexity, how can we work not only to develop current capacities, but also to create the conditions for the emergence of more complex perspectives in the future?

The seminar will

   * offer and apply a framework that helps us orient ourselves in any educational setting;
   * share practical experiences of working in the world as an integral educator;
   * provide an experience of integral education in the seminar itself;
   * offer ample opportunities for personal and professional self-reflection and development;
   * articulate teaching perspectives and generate effective next steps that each of us can bring home and build upon in our day-to-day work as teachers, parents and learners;
   * and most of all, explore what being an integral educator means in practice.

Also, the seminar will draw on the skills and knowledge of all present and offer some open space for participants to share their own experiences with integral education.

Integral education is ultimately about being integral, rather than knowing integral. As educators and parents, we need to become the change we wish to see, and we invite you to join us in this exciting journey of discovery and growth. Indeed, this seminar is for students of life, whether they be faculty members, administrators, adult educators, parents, or students, who hold education as an important part of their life’s purpose and context for personal evolution.

As it can sometimes take a while for new discoveries to percolate and become fully integrated, we will continue to work together in a post-seminar online community, offering ongoing collaboration, inspiration and mutual support.

And last, but not least, we intend to have the best of times! Surrounded by natural beauty, colleagues, and new friends, and exploring next steps to be taken within ourselves as educators and within this vast field of education, we shall gather for a dynamic and profound week of growth, practice, study, and self-inquiry. We look forward to seeing you there!