An inspiring, playful learning environment for your children, integrating fun, community, sharing, creation, dreaming and spirituality... this is not what we usually find around the block, but it can be found in California.
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CosmiKids offers highly creative playful activities that involve children, parents and community.
Their activities are rather informal, but are conceived to also function as a or as as part of a new schooling environment. The vision has a close affinity to home-schooling and alternative schooling, and is an interesting approach to create open, playful, re-creative learning environments, taking them into the public space, for the entire community.
�The CosmiKids' mission is to provide a dynamic, enlightening environment where children can strengthen their connection with themselves, humanity, the world, and the larger universe. It's an approach that not only develops children's life skills but also supports the personal growth of parents and their communication with their kids.
Inventor and CEO Judy Julin has been active in various aspects of children's wellness programming since 1982. She created the first children's health clubs in the United States, which led to the creation of videos, learning products and a television pilot that built positive minds, strong bodies and warm, loving hearts. Judy also co-owned and managed five fast-food franchise businesses overseeing 60 employees. Because she felt that bottom line profits were directly tied to the employee's sense of well-being, she developed empowerment seminars unique to the fast-food industry.
The CosmiKids concept was born out of necessity, when visiting a Center for Well Being in Carlsbad, California. Parents would often bring their children and the center would provide for them while their parents attended classes. Over time, an innovative new program emerged that went far beyond mere babysitting but made it possible for children to reap the same self-improvement benefits their parents were simultaneously enjoying.
Launched in 2003, the program became formally known as CosmiKids - a colorful world in which children are free to think and dream and create and explore while gradually coming to understand the special way in which they influence - and are impacted by - the world around them. Today, there are CosmiKids festivals throughout the country with new franchise storefront facilities already in the planning stages.
The team comprises many highly creative minds, - designers, musicians, artists, comedians, scientists, thinkers, adults and children. Their work builds on views from many different cultures and studies that are very avantgarde, and may not be easy to follow for many people. For those that have an affinity to alternative culture, many names will sound familiar.
�There's no denying that academics, athletics and extra-curricular activities are central components in a child's upbringing, but with the added dimension of self-exploration children can achieve the clarity necessary to recognize the path they were meant to follow.
�Raising a centered, secure and well-grounded child simply requires a change in perspective, and that's what CosmiKids is all about.
The activities curriculum path is integrates part old and new philosophies, incorporating a variety of self-empowerment principles. Judy Julin teamed up with Carolyn Kaufman to reinvent the CosmiKids curriculum, including principles borne out of Carolyn's Free To Be Me kids camps.
The Stations of Discovery that now dot the CosmiKids landscape also include interactive experiences that were inspired, by the seminal work of innovative thinkers and scientists.
�Rather than focusing on external rewards, we encourage children to explore who they truly are in mind, body and spirit - their likes and dislikes, their greatest joys and deepest fears, how they relate to the world and the people in it. We help them learn to trust their intuition and how to tell the difference between what is real and authentic and what is unnecessary noise. With each new revelation a child's sense of confidence is strengthened, forming a solid foundation of self-esteem that will exist no matter the situation because it's pure, true and organic, not fashioned by peer pressure or socially imposed guidelines.�
Sounds good, and, for sure, seeing the impressions from the website makes many people dream of having such a place in their neighbourhood for passing rich afternoons � or maybe � all day?
Actually, creative, dynamic, good-hearted people are invited to become part of the creative network! The idea is to have franchisees join the initiative. CosmiKids currently operates in California, but maybe you will be one of the people spreading it across the world. It looks very much like there is a need and � in practical terms - a �market niche� for a wonderful, enriching �product / service offer�.
Browse their website to see the Photographs, Facilities, the Stations of Discovery stimulating playful learning or rather creative, learn-ful play.
The VIDEOS at http://cosmikids.org/video.html offer a quick introduction to the philosophies behind Cosmikids� explorative learning.
Various detail questions are answered here: http://cosmikids.org/faq.html
More information about the philosophies that inspired the program is available at http://cosmikids.org/ourhistory.html.
More impressions of Cosmikids activities can be seen in the recent documentary film �The Indigo Evolution�: http://theindigoevolution.com/
http://pnyv.org/index.php?id=34&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=271&tx_ttnews[backPid]=564&cHash=a7c4256dd2
Links:
WEBSITE: cosmikids.org
All images taken from the website and copyright of CosmiKids
CONTACTS:
215 S. Brea Blvd., Suite 207
Brea, California 92821
Telephone (888) 543-7738
Facsimile (714) 494-7582
