about

Themes

  • ENVIRONMENT IS EVERYTHING: Our "environment" includes absolutely everything, because everything is connected to us in some way. Therefore, Caritas Creek is an EVERYTHING education program! We teach lessons that apply to all aspects of life, nature, and the universe.
  • NEW DISCOVERIES: If we can let go of expectations, judgments, and pride, we open our minds and hearts to life's endless gifts. We see the world as if for the first time, and we allow ourselves to explore new environments, open up to new people, and embrace new ideas.
  • THE NATURE OF COMMUNITY: Everything affects and is affected by everything else. Nothing is separate or disconnected. Because communities are built upon connections, we can choose to see our community as infinite. Everything is part of your family.
  • THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF EVERYTHING: We depend on everything, and everything depends on us. Everything affects our choices, and our choices affect everything. We are perfectly interdependent, and so is everything else. There is no such thing as independence.
  • FINDING TEACHERS: Because everything is connected and interdependent, anything or anyone can be our guide, model, mentor, teacher, or travel partner. Classrooms are everywhere. The trick is learning how to listen to non-traditional teachers.
  • THE REALITY OF CHANGE: Everything is changing all the time. Everything is in motion. This change can seem unpredictable and scary, but it is also what keeps us all connected and makes everything possible. Therefore, change is not bad, even if we sometimes don't like it.
  • THE TRUTH OF DIVINE BEAUTY AND FAITH: Change is not chaos, because everything has a natural tendency toward order, meaning, and beauty. These patterns do not need our help, only our faith that they will appear. In the end, we get what we expect, depending on our faith.
  • UNDERSTANDING FEAR AND FAITH: Fear is a useful teacher, as long as we keep learning from it. Fear helps us avoid suffering, but it can also become a way of life and a kind of faith. When we put faith in the negative, we call it into existence, because we are not really open to anything else.
  • COMMUNITY CHOICE: Interdependence means that everything is affected by our community choices, but only adult humans seem to have a voice in these choices. If everything had a voice, our community choices would probably be very different. All people can make themselves heard.
  • INDIVIDUAL CHOICE: Individual choices can be difficult. There is often tension between personal desires, peer pressure, and community expectations. If we S.T.O.P., we can make good choices. Every individual choice has a direct impact on whether or not we will realize our dreams.
  • UNDERSTANDING EQUALITY: Because everything is interdependent, every little thing is important and valuable, and there is no way to say that some things are absolutely more important than others. If nothing is more important than anything else, then everything is equal.
  • UNDERSTANDING GOODNESS AND BADNESS: We can learn lessons from everything, and in this way, everything has goodness. With an interdependent perspective, we realize that nothing is purely good or evil. After all, there is only the one great event, and we are in it.
  • UNDERSTANDING POWER: Everything is equally important and powerful, including us. We are as important as the sun. We are as significant as the stars. We are as powerful as the water, the air, and the rocks. We each affect everything, and so we are each very powerful.
  • REALIZING RESPONSIBILITY: Everything is powerful, but humans have choice as one of our unique powers. Having the power to choose means we are uniquely responsible for our choices. We are accountable in a way that other things are not, because we could have chosen differently.
  • SPRINGBOARD: The future is in our hands. We get to choose whether or not the lessons we have learned will live on in our lives. We can help ourselves by setting reasonable goals and making personal promises to reach those goals. We can help each other by offering reminders and support.
  • CARITAS AT HOME: Students may forget the lessons of Caritas, or they may find it difficult to apply those lessons at home. With a little support, students are capable of becoming ambassadors of Caritas. All they need is a taste of success in choosing and creating change.
    • A SENSE OF PLACE: Students can be encouraged to connect with self, others, nature, and God as they find them around their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. The resulting "sense of place" may foster an excitement for exploring and improving their local communities and environments.