Youth Curriculum, 2-8-26

Reminder: Parent Meet-Up – Parents are invited to our Parent Meet-Up on Friday, February 20th, from 5:30–8:00 PM. Join us for an evening of connection, conversation, and experiential learning. Enjoy snacks, meet other parents, experience a class activity your child participates in, and help shape what you want for your child at CSL. Q&A and open conversation included. Parents must sign up using the QR code in their email invitation or posted flyers around the center. If you need assistance arranging childcare, Adrienne can help connect you with our experienced teens in advance.

February Theme: Interbeing, Belonging, and the Power of Love
Week 2 Value: Seeing with the Eyes of Love
Affirmation: I see with the eyes of Love.

Curriculum Overview

This week invites youth and teens to explore how perspective shapes relationships. Through playful movement and intentional listening, youth discover that the way they interpret a situation influences how they connect with others. The lesson emphasizes love as a conscious choice—one that begins with awareness, curiosity, and presence.

Spiritual Lesson

It’s easy to react automatically when feelings are strong or when misunderstandings arise. This lesson teaches that love is not just a feeling but a way of seeing. Youth explore how judgment, assumptions, and emotional reactions can block connection, while empathy and curiosity create understanding. Seeing with the eyes of Love means pausing long enough to choose how we respond.

Spiritual Practice: Partner Listening Pause

Youth practice intentional listening by pairing up and taking turns speaking, with each partner listening without interruption. Afterward, listeners reflect back what they heard—not to fix or respond, but to understand. This practice strengthens presence, patience, and compassion, helping youth experience love through attention and respect.

Active Listening: Book / Music / Video

Younger Children (Ages 4–7)

• Book: We’re All Wonders — R.J. PalacioCelebrates kindness, empathy, and seeing one another as part of the same human family.
• Music: “Listen” — Patty Shukla
  Encourages awareness and listening through simple lyrics and movement.
• Video: How to Be a Good Listener — Sesame Street (2:00)
  Introduces listening skills in a playful, age-appropriate way.

Children & Preteens (Ages 7–12)

• Book: Those Shoes — Maribeth Boelts
  Explores empathy, perspective, and kindness in relationships.
• Music: “Count on Me” — Bruno Mars
  Reinforces mutual support, friendship, and being there for one another.
• Video: Perspective Taking — BrainPOP (3:30)
  Helps youth understand how different viewpoints shape experience.

Teens (Ages 13–16)

• Reading: Adapted excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh on deep listening and loving speech
• Music: “Human” — Rag’n’Bone Man
  Invites reflection on vulnerability, empathy, and shared humanity.
• Video: The Power of Listening — TED-Ed (4:00)
  Explores how listening builds trust and connection.

Creative Expression: Perspective Swap Relay

Youth participate in a movement-based relay in which they act out common scenarios with different emotional responses, such as frustration versus curiosity. By physically switching roles and responses, youth experience how perspective can either strengthen or weaken the connection. Younger youth focus on body language and tone, while older youth reflect on emotional choice.

Connecting: Seeing with Love Share

Youth name one way they can practice seeing with the eyes of Love at home, school, or with friends. This closing connection reinforces that relationships grow when we choose presence, empathy, and understanding.