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Educational Recommendations
Revised Rough Draft

Compiled at WPI Oct. 25th Meeting, Albion, Michigan
(Tentative Recommendations for Educational Components (subject to revisions) of the World Peace Initiative art project)

1. Intercultural Teams

• The creation of the WPI artworks should reflect presence of Intercultural Teams made up of various races, cultures, genders and ethnic origins. These teams can be formed at local, regional, national, and international levels. It is hoped that such teams processing the workload will generate harmonious relationships necessary for individual, community, and world peace.
• It is hoped private and parochial students in both K-12 and higher education will be allowed to participate in the processes of design and maintenance.

2. Community Collaboration

• We envision the earthwork as a "flexible" site for community uses and cultural event uses. Community is a positive force in promoting and enabling world peace. People from the communities surrounding the large-scale installation are first in experiencing peaceful collaborations. The experience and new understanding gained from the planning, implementation, installation, and outcomes of the WPI must first be community based.
• The community (which includes public, private, and educational institutions, groups, societies, organizations, and individuals) will have the opportunity to be involved with the project at many levels including community events, educational projects, and exhibits.

3. Skill Development

• The WPI seeks to develop skills within the participating communities, including these:
  • Developmental motor skills
  • Increased communication skills
  • Increased visualization skills
  • Increased technology education & development of new applications for technology

4. Risk Taking/Creative Thinking Skills

• Helping people become competent, confident, independent thinkers is at the heart of true education. The World Peace Initiative, in its exploration of creative methods, can be used as a model for teaching the power of multi-disciplinary investigation, freethinking, and creative problem solving.

5. Visualization Skills (see # 3 above)

6. Inter-university exchanges

• WPI objectives can be propagated through links to university resources, including students, faculty, and staff. Many exchanges are possible, including participation of students in creation and documentation of artworks in each site, exchange shows, peace forums hosted by universities, etc.

7. Public Education Forum (see #2 above for more information on similar topic)

• To have world peace, we need local peace and individual peace. At all times, the site should be considered as a non-denominational "sacred site" of the people. This site will be utilized for meditation and reflection on what the issues of peace are for the individual and the local community. Additionally, the site could be used as a public forum to discuss, express, or educate on the many meanings and ways of and to peace.

8. Curriculum Development (see #3 above relates closely to this topic)

• The WPI encourages development of school curriculum. It is hoped that ideas generated during the formation of the project will flow through to school projects: For example, what symbols mean peace (art curriculum), who within our community promotes peace (social studies), and how can I achieve inner peace (religious studies)? Conflict resolution also is a necessity to the achievement of peace. For example, role playing activities and a study of how world conflicts have been resolved can be incorporated into the curriculum.

9. Conflict Resolution (see #8 above)

10. Exhibitions (see #'s 2 & 7 above as this relates to them for more information)

• Exhibitions are another way community can be involved through peace exhibitions. Space could be used both at and away from the artwork site for school children, older students, adults, artists, et. al., to exhibit art, music, writing, etc., on the theme of peace. Cyberspace could also be used as an arena for exhibitions.

11. Web Development

• The web site project will be used to document, describe, and promote the WPI project and as a creative tool/space. The WPI's web page address is www.worldpeaceart.org. The site will include images, text, and sound. The site can be used as a repository of global collective experience in keeping with the theme of the project (peace, harmony, and the like). Musicians, children, artists, and anybody interested in the project will be asked to submit works towards the web site. All submissions will be transferred electronically to a designated address. After collecting a database of sonic and visual materials the project will be posted (designed) on the web page and then made accessible globally.

12. Educational Package/Kit

• The WPI can supply useful tools to operate as an adjunct to world peace activities to help teachers engage students meaningfully with WPI objectives. The kit may include such things as overheads, video, CD-ROM, web page information, and lesson plans.

13. Appreciation of Diversity

• The WPI collaborative experience is based on peaceful intercultural interaction. International and intercultural exchanges provide opportunity for a clarified understanding of the "oneness of humankind." Intercultural exchanges (whether local, national, or international) provide a means to bring together people who may not otherwise experience their similarities and differences. Such exchanges lead to new insight into the positive force of diverse peoples working together peacefully to create beautiful art objects which in turn serve as visual reminders of peaceful collaboration.

World Peace Initiative: Position Paper

• Design Recommendations
• Public Relations
• Logistics and Operations
• Educational Recommendations
• Educational Objectives--Composed by Albion, Michigan, USA area educators