Overview

This poetry guide was created in conjunction with California Poets in the Schools poet-teacher Terri Glass, and Fund For Global Awakening's Universal Children: Voices of Hope, who together collaborated on a special project called Language of the Awakened Heart. Poetry lessons with themes of animal wisdom, joy, connection, generosity, beauty, honoring the heart, peace, praise, forgiveness, and envisioning a new future were taught in six classrooms at West Marin School in Point Reyes, California, in the fall of 1999. The grade levels were 3-7; each received ten one-hour sessions of poetry.

Universal Children: Voices of Hope is a program that sponsors and encourages children to express their highest visions and deepest dreams through all creative mediums. This expression lends itself toward fundamental truths and a fresh perspective of the world that adults long to reconnect to. This program was designed to be a two way street -- a chance for children to get excited about their own creativity, and a chance for adults to learn what insights children possess.

Universal Children: Voices of Hope supports projects where young people create from their hearts and reach out to the world. More creativity allows for more joyful expression. More joyful expression creates a more elevated language. This develops a self-awareness that contributes to a world based on sharing, cooperation, reverence, and gratitude -- a world based on love.

Language of the Awakened Heart was geared to facilitate this new language within the medium of poetry. This guidebook provides a map to discover the hidden potential inside the child by containing lesson plans, visualizations, and introductions to poetic tools. It also supplies example poems and some of the incredible poetry and artwork that was created by the children at West Marin School during the artist's residency.

Fund For Global Awakening would like to see Language of the Awakened Heart used in schools worldwide. This would include both public and private schools, home schools, after school programs, juvenile halls, learning centers -- any place where children (grades 3-12) are gathered to learn about language and where expression of their voice is vital to their well-being.

We hope you find this guide to be an inspirational tool you can use in your own work with children. It is our desire that it gives more children the opportunity to express their higher selves while broadening their ability to use language effectively and creatively.

Order the Guide | Back to top