Spiritual England is working with others to plan work with children and spirituality in schools and communities.

We are interested to have your views and experiences of such work. 

Tell us on: hallo@spiritualengland.org.uk

How can we make our families, schools, homes, youth clubs, places of worship and neighbourhoods more supportive of children’s and young people’s spiritual growth?

Spiritual England is organising a national conference ‘Creating Spiritual Spaces for Children and Young People’ together with the National Children’s Bureau. It will be on Thursday 21 May 2009 at the Inmarsat Conference Centre in London.

The conference is for social workers, teachers, early years, play and youth workers, psychotherapists, psychologists, religious leaders and policy officers.

The conference will focus on children, young people and spirituality. We will hear about how we can create indoor and outdoor spaces which provide a good environment for supporting children’s spiritual growth and counterbalancing the consumerism and stress of everyday life.

Speakers include Andrew Pakula, London Spiritual Network who will set the scene by talking about spirituality and what it can means to us today. Nigel Pimlott co-author of Glimpses (a resource book on youth work and spirituality) will tell us about fostering spirituality in youth work settings. Clive Erricker, Jane Erricker and Cathy Ota from the Association of Children’s Spirituality will talk about spirituality in schools.

Professor June Boyce-Tillman MBE from Winchester University will focus on fostering children’s spirituality through the arts and Anne Davies, chief executive of the international children’s charity, Jigsaw4U, will explore the links between children’s spirituality and their mental and emotional health.

Visit the National Children's Bureau

Glimpses by Steve Bullock and Nigel Pimlott, is a resource on youth work and spirituality. It contains resources and ideas to aid exploration and reflection. Published by the National Youth Agency. Visit the National Youth Agency.

 

Janusz Korczak the famous Polish writer, teacher and educational theorist dedicated himself to the needs and plight of children. (The King of Children by Betty Jean Lifton, Pan).  As a children’s advocate, he spoke of the need for a declaration of Children’s Rights long before this was taken up by international organisations.  A Polish Jew who perished with his orphan children in the Nazi extermination camp Trebinka, he is quoted in the book as saying ‘I believe in humanity’s future.  If I had kept an innocent faith in God, I would probably pray for the salvation of this world where children are the first to suffer. The child will have a leading role in man’s spiritual renewal.’   Janusz Korczak talks about the rights of the individual to a spiritual life.

The Janusz Korczak Living Heritage Association

 

The Association for Children’s Spirituality

www.ChildrensSpirituality.org

 

International Journal of Children's Spirituality

www.tandf.co.uk

 

Jigsaw4U – supports children and young people and their families who have experienced loss and trauma, and empowers them to have a voice in decision-making about their lives, about the development of Jigsaw4U and in the development of policy and practice locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

www.Jigsaw4u.org.uk