23 Distinctive Features of New Earth Institute

The distinctive program of New Earth Institute arises to provide a healthy and sane alternative to Western education. Traditional, Western education is based on the philosophy of materialism. This doctrine states that physical objects are the only things that exist. Materialism denies the role played by the forces and creative energies of conscientious awareness: intention, focus, intuition, and spiritual values that are of the soul. The experiences of the soul – inspiration; generosity; intuition, direct knowing; the spontaneous understanding of certainty, goodwill, and integrity, as well as the awareness of spirit working through nature – all are debunked, ridiculed, and denied by materialism.

In fact subtle energies experienced as elevated consciousness, profound feelings, direct intuition, inspiration, truth, goodness, generosity, mercy, and beauty have no place in Western education, no authority or reality in Western schools. For there such experiences are referred to with the rather derogatory term and tone: “subjective,” meaning unreliable, misleading, illusory, weak, feminine, thereby having no validity or existence in so called “pure, objective reality.”

The twenty-three innovations given (listed in order at the bottom of the index) contrast with what has become the norm in education: a deluge of endless and nearly always superficial facts, a hostile and exploitative attitude towards Nature, and a jaundiced, narrow view of the full potential, spiritual power and beauty of human nature.

A Listing of 23 Distinctive Features of New Earth Institute is given below. (Consult the Index for a description of each distinctive feature.)

1. Holistic Education: Awakening Innate Intelligence

2. New Earth Institute functions as a family

3. NEI Interacts Meaningfully with Nature every day

4. Values at NEI: Self-Knowledge, Self-Reliance, Cooperation & Compassion,
Giving and Forgiving, Non-Violent Communication, and Interpersonal Growth

5. Non-Violent Communication, and Interpersonal Growth

6. Service to Others

7. Consciousness: The Key to Education

8. NEI is Egalitarian Community where All are Empowered

9. NEI Highlights the Art of communication

10. Experiential Learning

11. The Goal: Independent Learners

12. Academics: Explore the Context of Factual Information

13. Subjective Learning is Crucial Link between Individual Experience and
Objective Reality

14. NEI Practices the Inquiry Approach to Learning

15. The Authority at NEI is YOU

16. The Challenge: Become a Pioneer

17. NEI Celebrates Life in many ways

18. Healthy Joyous Lifestyle

19. Consciousness and Choice

20. Silence is Greatest Teacher

21. NEI helps develop a Unique Voice in each student

22. The whole point of NEI is to Live Now

23. Accelerated Learning: The Product of Genius