16. The Challenge of New Earth Institute: Become a Self-Sufficient Pioneer

Often it is difficult to realize the spiritual concept that we are capable of doing anything our heart desires. But the opportunity to master life skills one at a time inevitably leads to that end. We value direct life experience above memorizing objective knowledge, including that of actively engaging in practical arts, crafts, and trades. We encourage gaining mastery in dance, solo and choral singing, instrumental study, bands, ensembles, drawing, painting, sculpture, design, cleaning, cooking, baking, designing and making a garden, doing the laundry, cutting and splitting firewood, building (fashioning cement, framing, finish carpentry as well as rustic cabin building, creating electric circuits, plumbing, insulating, roofing). We value beekeeping, farming, animal husbandry, and computer literacy (mastering a word processor and spreadsheet, creating graphics, visuals and databases and learning how to manage files and do research on he web, downloading, saving, and printing information, creating web sites and using the internet). We encourage the development of drama skills (acting, directing, controlling lighting and sound effects, and creating sets); potting; repairing machinery; and gaining entrepreneurial skills by working in a small, school business enterprise. As symbols that recognize the achievement of different levels of proficiency in any of the above life skills, the community through group consciousness could elect to present certificate that acknowledge partial or full mastery.