9) Right-to-bare-feet

There is something unique and comforting about a circle. These Efé children of the Ituri Forest in Zaire are seen playing the Osani game as pictured in this photo from Connecting Dotz.  Sitting in a circle, feet touching, all connected, they take turns naming a “real” round object (the sun, moon, eyes), followed by naming a more figurative idea of round (a family, “being together, a baby in a womb).  Symbolically, the Osani game speaks to the core of what education should be--teaching the whole child--mind, heart, and spirit.  Today there are hundreds of schools in the Charter's network that are exploring what is meant by infusing a curriculum of compassion in schools; and over 70 education partners from Belgrade’s Media Centre, engaging youth from different socio-cultural backgrounds to work together to promote intercultural dialogue and voluntarism; to young Nicaraguan children turning over their Compassion It! bracelets from one side to the other as they perform compassionate acts.  In Seattle, the Youth Ambassadors are working to help keep their fellow classmates in school; teachers at the Community School have infused “kindness” throughout the curriculum, and youth at What’s Good 206 are bringing “real” life stories to the public that speak to good works such as a recent Mariners baseball game played to support homeless youth. Follow the Charter and check out our partners named above.