Full-Circle Learning (FCL) remains an evolving organization due to the role that local schools play in addressing a continuum of changing community needs.
New projects unfold as students grapple with outbreaks of disease, food insecurity, eldercare, poverty, climate change, sustainable development, civil unrest or any humanitarian need that calls for their dedication to humanitarian service and academic problem solving. This has kept the future of the organization surprising and rewarding each year.
Example of a wisdom exchange: Nigerian students learned the causes, treatments, and prevention strategies for Lassa Fever as part of a global wisdom exchange on health disparities. They taught preventions across ten communities. Meanwhile, their Zambian wisdom exchange partner focused on Typhoid prevention. All partners were practicing the habit-of-heart Awareness. They compared notes on project steps, community involvement techniques and outcomes.
As an organization, we also remain flexible in approaches to collaboration. In the months prior to the 2020 pandemic, FCL had entered into alliances to synchronize the efforts of curriculum development departments, teachers’ colleges and underserved pilot schools. When the pandemic shut down whole education systems, we shifted gears to help facilitators design and support grassroots distance learning programs.
Now again, as students return to school in many countries, their own focus rests not only on local but global impact. The pandemic expanded several regions’ adeptness with technological tools that can now link schools in exciting, contemporaneous nation-to-nation wisdom exchange projects (featured in the 2021 annual report).
Our emphasis in the immediate future, then, will strengthen and support the capacities of learners to see the value of diverse perspectives in problem solving. We will especially reward schools engaged in the wisdom exchanges.
We also now have witnessed the potential of scholarship students to raise the long-term standards of the visionary service projects in their regions. Therefore, we are increasing participation in scholarships that value thematic goals and merit for young leaders who influence humanitarian outcomes among vulnerable populations.
Bendu (center) had no access to land for farming, so she taught her community how to harvest crabs to reduce food insecurity)
We offer guided imagery resources for resiliency in regions where the pandemic and other factors have increased trauma among children. A new, expanded version of The Sky Belongs to Everyone has been published by North Pacific Press, recommended by experts for teachers parents, now available at amazon.com.
Materials and music in the Curricula section of this website have always been available for free for teachers and learners, whether in the onsite or online classroom.
Now two new vocational courses are available on the Full-Circle Learning website – a healthcare Care Skills course for caregivers and an Education course called Why We Learn.
These courses can be presented independently without charge. However, those seeking to present the courses for vocational or college credit may want proof of certification. For details, please contact us at info@fullcirclelearning.org.
We continue to offer regional training workshops, not only for teachers but now for school leaders. Contact your regional facilitator for details.