Forest

Youth ages 12-14 and youth facilitators ages 15+

The third principle “From the near to the far, from that which is to that which shall be “

Learning happens through life itself, and as children grow the character of our program changes.

Ages 12-14

As children transition from childhood into adolescence, our program expands with them. At this age it is expected that children are driven by their own motivation, are able to take responsibility, plan, and follow through with what they set out to do. The transition from a more guided and facilitated learning towards the capacity of free progress. From age 12+ children extend their learning program, not just to take part in, but to drive our educational projects. They are also encouraged to move their learning out of our Base Camp environment, to also take part in classes in Auroville schools, and to get involved in real Auroville projects. It is also an age when it becomes possible to offer service through Auroville units and services. We have also noticed that at this age adolescents show more interest in taking part in the ALL TLC community gatherings with parents and facilitators, to be a part of the overall functioning of TLC. Each youth will have a very different program, and the responsibility and motivation lies with the youth, mentors and parents now offer less support, and through self-direction the possibilities are many to create and maintain a rich and developing program.

Youth facilitators

Since our first TLC youth reached the age of 15+, we have always had some individuals who have chosen to stay on as “intern facilitators”. We recognize that our youth who have been through a TLC education themselves embody the philosophy and practice in a deeper way.

In this age we also see an interest in taking part in conferences and other networking events, with an intention to contribute towards transformative work. Our adolescent students have taken part in several international conferences, sharing their educational experiences in TLC with other, making new friends and learning innovative tools to bring back to TLC.

Presently some of our youth facilitators are fundraising to take part in the European Democratic Education Conference (EUDEC) in the Netherlands this year 2024. They have attended the International Democratic Education Conferences (IDEC) since the past years, and are motivated and driven to continue the journey of transforming education. Support their Conference attendance here: (link to the crowdfunding coming soon…)