„Closing presentation at Social Entrepreneur course"

 8 weeks course - completed! 10 graduates did their presentations today.  Mine was entitled  “the Value of Empathy – CMC delivered nationwide”. I was the first to present. Audience received it enthusiastically.  Children Massaging Children stands for  Hauora from the School Curriculum. It's user friendly and easy to replicate in different countries and languages. The audience has picked up on those points because they are strong exporting features of the CMC.  Next step will be to present CMC as TED talk early next year. 

At the WellFest event

20/21 September - WellFest  was a big and a vibrant event. 

We shared our stand with Dee Pigneguy - an expert at introducing  nutrition and gardening into schools.

 During the event I delivered two presentations and received excellent feedback. 

The time spent there was packed with making new contacts, networking with like-minded people and promoting the idea of peer massages in education system. Very fruitful event for Child Connection.

Sir Ken Robinson talk

I just listened to the talk by Sir Ken Robinson  it’s from 4 years ago. Unfortunately today it’s just as relevant, because not much has changed.

He makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning - creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish. "Unfortunately we have built our education systems on the model of fast food."  
Sir Ken refers to Abraham Lincoln who in 1876 said that "The dogma of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present" . He concludes that  “When evolution isn't working, revolution is needed “It’s a pleasure to listen to him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I

Peer Massage in America

My friend and colleague Thea Blair from the U.S.A. reports that she recently held her first whole-school Peaceful Hands (peer massage) training a a Waldof charter school near Denver, Colorado.

There were 23 teachers  19 were quite enthusiastic, 3 were doubtful and one was outright antagonistic. One of the teachers complained that this kind of touching was not like a game of tag or a clapping game between children - it was "intimate".  Thea agreed with her and started a conversation on the topic of what "intimate" means and how it is that there are certain words are off-limits now because society has placed a sexual connotation upon them. Words like "passion" and "pleasure" and "deep" and "intimate".

After the first two sessions the teachers who clearly did not want to practice Peaceful Hands in their classroom were excused. After that they had a blast! The teachers are eager to begin a pilot program at their own school.