A Furthering Education Initiative
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us of our need for respect for all that the earth and its living beings provide us, to take what is given, to take little, and to not waste. Respect is not altruism but a connection with the living world, “of life flowing into life”. We have a responsibility towards others, in how we regard ourselves and treat all life. “Paying attention”, she writes, “is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.” How we spend even money is an exercise in reciprocity: is it a purchase worthy of the lives (trees, animals, soils, oceans) consumed?
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“One of our responsibilities as human people is to find ways to enter into reciprocity with the more-than-human world. We can do it through gratitude, through ceremony, through land stewardship, science, art and in everyday acts of practical reverence”.
- R. W. Kimmerer
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Unfolding out of our experiences and understandings of The Learning Centre (TLC) over the past six
years, building on our collective imagination, our study and play, we have envisioned TLC+.
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Our attention to multidisciplinary and experiential learning with both tangible and intangible learning
outcomes have created a dynamic yet stable learning environment for children at TLC. We now wish to extend this to older learners who will, in addition, be able to reflect on their place in the “living world” and its attendant spirit of respect, responsibility and reciprocity.
External Validation
The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Cambridge IGCSE are invested with the authority to assess and certify learners registered with them upto pre-degree level courses. Should students elect to take these examinations, TLC Plus will guide and support them. While our programme is designed to enable this, our aim remains the three Rs: Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity.
