Nurturing Spirituality in Children

Course Dates: Feb. 25 Mar. 29, 2015

Duration: 5 weeks. Participants will receive an average of 3 to 4 hours of course work per week.
Assignments are due on the Sunday of each week, by midnight.

Course objectives:
At the end of the course, participants will:
- Have increased awareness about religion and spirituality, its differences and commonalities.
- Be equipped to foster and integrate spaces to nurture spirituality when delivering Learning to
Live Together sessions and other programs with children.
- Have acquired concrete tools approaches to support and nurture childrens spirituality in diverse
contexts.

Course Completion Requirements:

1234-

Participate in all forum discussions as required in each week

Contribute to each others ideas and build on others contributions
Participate in group work
Submit assignments as required

Course Outline:

Week 0:
Introduction
Feb. 25 Mar. 1

Objectives:
This week, participants will
- Familiarize themselves with the
online platform, including how to
post to the forum, update their
profiles, receive and send a
message, view classmates.
- Reflect and share their
understanding of Spirituality.

Activities:
Forum Discussion:
Self-introduction and expectations
on the course
Sharing Thoughts on Spirituality:
Reflection on the understanding of
Spirituality
Reading:
Learning to Live Together
Programme Manual, p. 19 20.
Nurturing Spirituality in Children | 1

Week 1:
What do I believe?
Religion and Spirituality
Mar. 2 8

- Explore their own beliefs.

- Learn about the differences and
commonalities between religion
and spirituality.

Introduction:
Beliefs and Belief Systems
Forum Discussion:
Factors that form beliefs
Readings:
Lunn, J (2009). The role of religion,
spirituality and faith in
development: A critical theory
approach, Third World Quarterly.

Week 2:
What about Spirituality?

Mar. 9. .15

Week 3:
Children and Spirituality
March 16 22

Identify and describe the

purpose, elements and
challenges of spirituality.
Explore the importance of
internalization.
Explore specific aspects and
approaches related to Children
and Spirituality.

- Develop a session using a kiosk

and integrating spirituality.
- Explore ideas how to create
spiritual moments with a group of
children, giving rational for the
activities in the outline, including
challenges.

Forum discussion:
Impact on societies and
communities
Group assignment:
Characteristics, needs and tools of
spirituality.
Forum discussion:
Video: Approaches to spirituality
Readings:
Hart, T. (2004).The mystical child:
Glimpsing the spiritual world of
children. Encounter: Education for
meaning and social justice, 17:2.
Mercer, J. (2006).Children as
mystics, activists, sages, and holy
fools: Understanding the spirituality
of children and its significance for
clinical work. Pastoral Psychology,
54:5.
Introduction:
The significance of critical thinking
for spiritual development.
Group assignment:
Create objectives and an outline for
a session providing space for, and
strengthening childrens spirituality
Reading:
Ruddlock, B. & Cameron, R. J.
(2010). Spirituality in children and
young people: A suitable topic for
education and child psychologists?
Education Psychology in Practice,
26:1.
Nurturing Spirituality in Children | 2

Week 4:
Applications and
Conclusion
March 23 29

- Read and give feedback to each

others sessions.
- Think critically about the learning
acquired as a result of the training.
- Assess the course.

Introduction:
Video on awe and being yourself
Reading:
How to give constructive feedback
Forum discussion:
Feedback to other groups outlines
of sessions
Conclusion of the course:
Summary and Evaluation

Nurturing Spirituality in Children | 3