November 29, 2019 Dear Supporters and Friends, This year has been like no other in our memory: Covid-19, school closures, economic hardship, social justice reckoning and political division. Amid the crisis, we at SPIRIT SERIES see a way forward. A…
Only by working together toward a common goal can we actually tend to the spirit of our communities and ourselves. This is the promise of #SpiritCorps, which begins with short video stories of personal challenge and triumph from SERIES staff…
Bringing SPIRIT SERIES online has opened wonderful possibilities, among them the chance to actively partner with leaders from the cultural traditions we celebrate. This summer, two elders of the Lakota nation lent their talents and perspective to the online presentation…
This summer’s newsletter featured the pilot of our program adaptation for distance learning: On Screen. Since then, over 400 students in 28 cohorts have met the SPIRIT SERIES challenge on Zoom. Our thanks to the partner educators in greater Los…
For those looking to fully engage students and build community online this fall, we may be able to help. In May, as a response to Covid-19, we launched a bold experiment: taking fifth, sixth, and seventh grade participants in each…
December 5, 2019 Dear Supporters and Friends, This October, somewhere in Southern California, rural Maine or maybe San Francisco, our 50,000th program participant was about to meet the SPIRIT SERIES challenge. They sat in a classroom with no idea of…
In August, my students started their last year of elementary school. When I asked what I could do to make this the best year ever, they all had the same response, SPIRIT SERIES! During fourth grade these students and I…
December 5, 2018 Dear Supporters and Friends, The average American 12-year-old spends between 4.5 and 6.7 hours each day in front of a screen. Countless studies debate whether this is a symptom or the cause of a deepening crisis: loneliness…
Eighteen years. Three states. Twelve percent average annual growth. As we approach another major milestone, we’re definitely getting ready to celebrate: 50,000 students served! It’s hard to believe that what started as one parent’s response to his daughter’s grief after…
Collecting meaningful data is key to evaluating the efficacy of any educational program. The numbers are now in for Year Two of our assessment and, we are proud to report, that partner teachers as well as participating students have told…
