Youth Curriculum, 2-1-26
Announcements:
Reminder: Youth & Teen Parent Meet-Up – Parents and caregivers are invited to our Youth & Teen Parent Meet-Up on Friday, Friday, Feb 20th 5:30 – 8pm Join us for an evening of connection, conversation, and experiential learning. Enjoy snacks, meet other parents, experience a class activity your child engages in, and help shape what you want for your youth or teen at CSL. Q&A and open conversation included.
February Theme: Interbeing, Belonging, and the Power of Love
Week 1 Value: Embracing Interconnection
Affirmation: I embrace my connection with all life.
Curriculum Overview
This week invites youth and teens to experience connection as a lived reality rather than an abstract idea. Through cooperative movement, mindful awareness, and shared reflection, youth discover that their choices matter and that each person plays an important role in the well-being of the whole. The lesson emphasizes belonging, responsibility, and compassion as natural expressions of understanding our interconnectedness.
Spiritual Lesson
It can be easy to think of ourselves as separate or disconnected, especially when emotions run high. This lesson introduces the concept of interbeing—the understanding that nothing exists alone and that our thoughts, words, and actions ripple outward. Youth explore how awareness and care strengthen relationships, while unconscious choices can create disconnection. Compassion grows when we recognize that supporting others also supports ourselves.
Spiritual Practice: Mindful Interbeing Pause
Youth are guided through a brief reflective pause after cooperative play, noticing how it feels when the group moves with awareness and care. They reflect silently on how their actions affected others during the activity and how cooperation changed the group’s energy. This practice builds self-awareness and reinforces responsibility without blame.
Active Listening: Book / Music / Video
Younger Children (Ages 4–7)
Book: We’re All Wonders — R.J. Palacio
Celebrates kindness, empathy, and seeing one another as part of the same human family.
Music: “Kindness” — Kira Willey
Encourages gentle awareness and caring actions through simple, calming lyrics.
Video: All Connected (Sesame Street, 1:30)
Introduces interconnection and kindness in an age-appropriate way.
Children & Preteens (Ages 7–12)
Book: Each Kindness — Jacqueline Woodson
Explores how small choices ripple outward and how kindness matters.
Music: “Count on Me” — Bruno Mars
Reinforces mutual support, friendship, and being there for one another.
Video: Ripple Effect — Kid President (3:15)
Shows how one small act can create positive change.
Teens (Ages 13–16)
Reading: Thich Nhat Hanh — short excerpt on interbeing (adapted for youth discussion)
Supports reflection on mindfulness, responsibility, and compassion.
Music: “One Tribe” — Black Eyed Peas
Highlights unity, shared humanity, and collective impact.
Video: How Your Actions Matter — TED-Ed (4:00)
Explores cause, effect, and responsibility in accessible language.
Creative Expression: Human Web Game
Youth participate in a cooperative Human Web Game using yarn or soft bands to create a physical web that connects everyone. As youth move and respond together, they notice how balance, awareness, and care are required to keep the web strong. Younger youth focus on movement and teamwork, while older youth reflect on responsibility and mutual support.
Connecting: Compassion in Action Share
Youth briefly name one way they can support connection at home, school, or in their community. This sharing reinforces that interbeing is not just something we notice—it’s something we practice through everyday choices.