By Ruai Rekha Gregory
After a successful and exciting first year, the NHE Teacher Preparation Program, offered by Gurukula through the Neohumanist College of Asheville, held an online retreat August 10-11, 2022.
The retreat was designed as an opportunity for NHE Educators, NHE-TP Program Students, AMGK, NHE and NHCA Staff, and others with a keen interest in furthering the cause of NHE Teacher Education to present information, dialogue, network, and plan for future classes, workshops and degree programs. The dual purpose of the retreat was to share about the first year of the program and to get feedback and input from others – and also to advertise and promote the program.
It was well attended by participants from across the globe – from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, including those with a wide variety of experiences and expertise along with some who are relatively new to the educational field.
The retreat began with the program director, Kathleen Kesson, providing an overview of the vision and direction of the 2-year teacher certification program. Then, each NHE program faculty member gave a short presentation and overview of their course. Ideas for future courses and possible specialization certificates were also shared.
Western hemisphere and eastern hemisphere discussion groups then met separately, as did the group based in India. There was tremendous positive feedback about the program. Rich dialogue was facilitated, with lively and interesting responses and ideas that were supported and summarized in the closing sessions. The final discussion question asked “What can we do to best meet your teacher preparation needs?” The responses were specific and practical, especially regarding the optimum content and delivery methods for classes and training materials. We have an overabundance of ideas to consider!
Update on the Program
Students in the 2021-2023 cohort have just completed their ninth course in the program (A Social Studies Curriculum of Place) with Dr. Kathleen Kesson and have begun their tenth (The Social Context of Learning) with Linda Baker. In the Spring of 2023, students will take their eleventh course (STEM: Science, Technology, Ethics and Math) and finish up with the Capstone course (The Future of Education). The Capstone course will include an individually designed project of high interest, which could be a student teaching placement in a Neohumanist school for a new teacher, an extensive research paper on some aspect of Neohumanist Education, a curriculum framework for a new school, a design for professional learning by a school administrator, or even the creation and/or translation of Neohumanist Education texts for a specific country. The possibilities are unlimited!
It is time to start spreading the word to your network about a new cohort that will begin in the Fall of 2023. If you have a colleague who might be interested in enrolling in the program, have them contact Arete Brim at