Welcome to SWIVL

SWIVL Awards: Coming Soon

Look for the SWIVL Awards- Respect & Responsibility for 4 - 5 - 6 graders.  Ending animal abuse is the first step to creating safe communities.

Moving the Schools to a Strength-Based Model

Schools more than any other social and political institution require a transformation from the deficit to the asset model.  Focusing on strengths and what works in our schools encourages optimism and a culture of success. This is especially important in low performing and high poverty schools where the achievement gap is widening for Black Americans and Latino students and the dropout rate is on the increase.  These schools are also extremely violent.  It’s no surprise that there is a strong connection between student success and ViolenceFree.  Continue Reading.

A More Compassionate, Caring School Curriculum.

Goat Central is a social, emotional, and academic place for children, animals, and adults to gather, engage and relate to each other for the purpose of creating a violencefree environment.  Through K – 12 curriculum and instruction, hands-on field work, specialized and technical support, and parenting education and development programs, SWIVL provides a diverse set of opportunities that encourages personal responsibility, self-reliance, and independence. 

 

Goats, as with all sentient beings, should not be exploited, regardless of the intention or motive.  Rather, goats provide valuable lessons through an observing, caring relationship.  Too often, goats, as with most farmed animals, are viewed in terms of how they can benefit humans.  Today, we are learning more and more on how heath related problems are linked to meat and dairy products.  SWIVL will be providing regular updates on how a vegetarian or vegan diet is more likely to improve the general health for both children and adults.

 

 

SWIVL is developing a Teacher-Community Advisory Group for Goat Central.  Contact SWIVL if you would like to join and become part of this exciting, new group. The Advisory Group will focus on creating a compassionate, self-reliant classroom based on respect and civility.

 

 

Goats provide a wonderful experience for children and adults to learn and experience compassion, respect, and empathetic relationships.  Goats are extremely social and engaging and can provide  valuable lessons for children of all ages. 

 

Goats also have a hidden life and it can be difficult to establish a relationship of trust.  It takes time and a willingness on the part of humans to appreciate the value and self-worth of this wonderful creature.  Once a trusting relationship is established, however, you will have a friend for life.  Once you have earned their trust, goats exhibit behaviors that are both joyful and loyal.  For both young and old, being with goats is self-sustaining and energizing and most of all brings you closer to your humanity. 

 

From biology to mathematics, teachers, administrators, and parents are encouraged to contact SWIVL to find out how Goat Central can create a more compassionate, caring school curriculum.

Appreciative Education

Appreciative Education (AE) is an alternative curriculum design for primary to high school students. The AE goal is simple:  to transform the classroom from a deficit-based to an asset-based teaching and learning environment.   AE can be applied to all aspects of the curriculum. The AE Design begins with Appreciative Education questions, where students interview each other to discover personal and relational assets around factors that drive a progressive culture and independent climate. Factors driving a progressive culture, including innovation, a future orientation, creativity, and enterprise act in combination with an independent climate of freedom and self-reliance to create a learning environment where students can work to achieve their full potential.  Continuing reading.

Join the SWIVL Conversation

SWIVL is a web site, blog, institute, forum, dialogue, conversation, learning community, think tank, and strategic center.  You are invited to participate in a conversation around thinking, planning, and acting to create a ViolenceFree environment.  In a ViolenceFree environment, the family is primary.  Regardless of the format or structure, SWIVL promotes the view that children require a compassionate, democratic family environment -- an environment based on mutually shared, respect, support, and trust.  In a ViolenceFree environment relationships are cultivated and enriched through the lives of others, including all sentient beings. 

SWIVL facilitates a variety of interventions from the ground-up to increase personal, social, and political capacity to create ViolenceFree: Individual self-organizing strategies, family growth and development, education and factors driving a culture of success, community values and beliefs to create an independent climate and progressive culture. 

Add a comment or click here to become a SWIVL author.

Losing a Companion Animal

It is always sad to lose a companion animal.  Companion animals are part of our family.  They keep us company, enrich our lives and love us unconditionally.  Sometimes after the death of a companion animal, people are hesitant to adopt a new friend because it is too soon, and they fear the former companion animal’s memory or love will be compromised.  

According to Dr. Gary Null, it is alright to mourn the loss of a companion animal, but more importantly when you lose a companion animal, ask yourself what lessons did you learn from your companion about friendship, love, relationships and life.  He says, each and every companion animal that touches our life, share a special bond with us forever.  

Our companion animals teach us many lessons, including patience, acceptance, consistency, and routine.  They remind us to have a song in our heart and to sing every morning  --  life can be short and each day is a gift and worthy of a song. 

When another companion animal reaches out to you, do not think of it as replacing your lost companion.  Think of it as an opportunity to open your heart to new experiences, the possibility to learn new lessons, and take the chance to share your life with another living being. 

It’s the beginning of a new and everlasting relationship.

ViolenceFree Humane Education Charter Schools

SWIVL works with parents, community members, teachers and administrators to organize and create ViolenceFree humane education charter schools.  Click here for a model humane education charter school.  Humane education fosters critical thinking, academic achievement, social success, self-worth and respect for humans, all species and the environment. Through dialogue, reflection and action, a humane education learning community creates an environment where students are able to optimize their strengths to be productive and resilient problem-solvers, socially conscious and compassionate citizens for the 21^st Century.

The humane education charter school is based on the belief that a compassionate learning community can enhance a child’s education and provide opportunities for social, emotional and academic growth.  Humane Education supports a life-loving and life-affirming ethic for all sentient beings, respect for the self-worth and dignity of all humans, recognition that multiculturalism and diversity are essential to a creative learning process, and an appreciation of the interdependent relationship between the human and natural community. Humane education promotes a society where citizens strive to be respectful, responsible and compassionate in their interactions with each other, nonhuman animals, and the natural community. 

Humane education is compatible with whole-brain research that describes learning as a self-organizing process that takes place within the individual and is contrary to traditional external, expert models of schooling.  Events are processed in the brain as a complex set of experiences where parts are embedded and integrated into larger wholes. Students are encouraged to perceive both separateness and interconnectedness while learning within a context specific environment. 

Humane Education Guiding Principles

1)     To create of a life-loving and life-affirming ethic. Humane education creates a learning environment based on kindness, compassion, respect, and consideration for all humans, all species and the environment.

2)     To search for interconnectedness. Humane education encourages a learning environment that emphasizes the value of relationships. 

3)     To develop critical thinking and evaluation. Humane education asks students to be accountable and responsible decision-makers. 

4)     To practice democratic principles and processes. Humane education creates a safe learning environment for students to speak about their own authentic feelings and experiences.