The Neohumanist College of Asheville (NHCA) began offering its first courses in September with the commencement of the Neohumanist Education Teacher Preparation Program, exceeding our enrollment targets by over two times with 33 students. Those currently enrolled represent nearly 20 countries, including teachers from our Neohumanist schools worldwide. The first courses offered in the Fall by the Neohumanist Educators faculty were Neohumanist Philosophy of Education taught by Dr. Kathleen Kesson and Introduction to Neohumanist Philosophy taught by Didi Ananda Devapriya.
NHCA students have been challenged with university level material and have responded positively to the quality of the content and instruction. “I really enjoy observing the aha moments of our students as the content touches their hearts and minds. I can see and feel the excitement in each class as we quench a real intellectual thirst for a deeper understanding of Neohumanist ideas and how to translate them to the general public” (Rs’i Ricky Peterson, Registrar).
The second series of courses began in November, to be completed in December: “Inside Out” – Personal Development for Neohumanist Educators, taught by Linda Baker and Sid Jordan; and Child Development from a Neohumanist Perspective, taught by Ruai Gregory. These four fall courses represent the first block, building up to a two-year Teaching Certificate Program for Neohumanist Educators.
Other Courses at NHCA
Steve Landau, a member of the Yoga and Intuitional Science faculty, kicked off a yoga teacher training course in September through NHCA. Upon completion of this year-long course, students are qualified to receive a teaching certification from Yoga Alliance.
In addition to the faculties for Education as well as Yoga and Intuitional Sciences, NHCA is developing faculties in:
- Prout/Economics
- Natural Sciences/Microvita
- Agriculture/Ecology
- Art/Music
- Wellness/Psychology
Following the NHCA syllabus template, additional courses are being developed and vetted by panels of relevant faculties in:
- Critical Thinking
- Leadership
- Art, Literature and Culture
- Prout
In the spirit of a “university without walls, “the courses taught at NHCA, and by its partners in Italy, Singapore, and Taiwan, offer online instruction that requires students to develop local projects under the guidance of mentors and to complete practicum work in the field of study. We are currently developing additional affiliations with like-minded educational institutions such as the Prout Institute on our NHCA campus and Sohail Inayatullah’s online educational institution, Metafutures.
The NHCA moved into its new home on its 33-acre campus in western North Carolina last spring. Over the summer, we worked to equip our long-distance learning lab with lighting, sound equipment, and a state-of-the-art camera for live streaming. The immediate goals for NHCA are (1) expansion of faculties, (2) additional course offerings, and (3) recruiting additional staff to meet the growing needs of a hybrid college and its global partners. In June, NHCA added a staff position to handle registration and student affairs. Ricky Peterson accepted the post as College Registrar and joined Ellen Landau, Facilities Manager, and Sid Jordan, Director.
For further information, please visit our website at www.nhca.gurukul.edu or write to