An Adventure in Excellence:	E. Todd
A Community Portrait	Revised, 1999

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    "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a  new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
    Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.  We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the  nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
    But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate--we cannot consecrate--we cannot hallow--this ground.  The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.  The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

" November 19, 1863
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Definitions: "Peace . . . ." "Purposeful Anger . . . ." "Peacemaking . . . ." "Peacekeeping . . . ." "Impasse . . . ." "Tolerance . . ."  "Arbitration. . . ." "Love. . . ." "Hate. . . ." "To be civilized. . . ." "Peaceful Behavior. . . ." "Bias. . . ." "Neutrality. . . ."

Consequences: If the human beings whose lives could be affected by the peacemaking curriculum of the public school accept these definitions the following consequences will occur in the peacemaking activities of the public school :

(1.) . . . .
 

"Whatever we do with the peacemaking curriculum of the public school depends upon what we think human beings whose lives are affected by the multiple peacemaking activities of the school are capable of accomplishing in their lives. The goals we seek, the things we do, the judgments we make, even the experiments we are willing to try, are determined by our beliefs about the nature of an individual and his/her capabilities." (Todd, 1998).

1.    A.    Belief:    If we believe that  a peacemaking curriculum can be defined as the planned experiences offered by the public school which can take place anywhere at any time--then every effort.....

        B.    Needed Actions:

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2.    A.    Belief: If we believe that understanding does not have the same meaning as accepting then we....

       B.    Needed Actions:

              (1.) . . . .
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3.    A.    Belief: If we believe that loving does not have the same meaning as liking then we....
 
       B.    Needed Actions:

              (1.) . . . .
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4.    A.    Belief: If we believe that . . . .

       B.    Needed Actions:

              (1.) . . . .
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The public school has the potential for becoming a peacemaking community with multiple peacemaking activities when the following conditions exist:

(1.)     The System of Core Values provides. . . .

(2.)     Professional and support staffs are employed not only because of demonstrated competence, but also because. . . .

(3.)     Agents of Peace . . . .

(4.)     Peacemaking behavior . . . .

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The activation and successful implementation of an Adventure in Excellence provides an opportunity for appropriate peacemaking curriculum activities by all students, teachers, and parents of the public school.  The implications are as follows:

    (1.) . . . .

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" A peacemaking curriculum can be defined as the planned educational experiences offered by a public school which can take place anywhere at any time in the multiple context of the school, e.g. the public school as a caring community, as a changing community . . ." (Todd, 1998).

"The physical and spiritual boundaries of a peacemaking curriculum exist only in the minds of those human beings whose lives are affected by the public school.  Spontaneous peacemaking experiences can take place anywhere at any time.  The world is open to the peacemaking curriculum of the school.  The universe of the 21st century provides numerous opportunities for peacemaking activities of a public school." (Todd, 1998).

Since we can only speculate about the unlimited possibilities for curriculum activities which could promote peacemaking communities in the third millennium, we believe that a future peacemaking curriculum can be described as follows:

Elementary Schools:

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Secondary Schools:

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 For a complete model of an individual classroom community see Appendix A.

"The curriculum can be defined as the planned educational experiences offered by a civilized community which can take place anywhere at any time in the multiple context of the school, e.g., public schools as caring communities, as changing communities, as peacemaking communities . . . (Todd, 1965, 1992, 1998.)

"The physical boundaries of peacemaking classrooms exist only in the minds of those human beings whose lives are affected by the public schools." (Todd, 1956, 1995, 1999.) "Teaching and learning can take place anywhere at any time." (Todd, 1963.) "The world is the classroom." (Todd, 1969.) "The universes are the classroom." (Todd, 1981, 1989, 1996.)

"The opportunities for demonstrating appropriate civilized behavior in changing classrooms are inseparably linked with the opportunities for students to demonstrate technological literacy during instructional activities carried out in peacemaking communities." (Todd, 1996, 1999.)

Since we can only speculate about the unlimited possibilities for educational experiences which could facilitate the nurturing of peacemaking agents of peace who are collegial decision-makers in the third millennium we believe that scholarly classrooms can be described as follows:

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"Imagine all the people whose lives are affected by the school.. . . ."

(1) . . . .

(2) . . . .

(3) . . . .

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Appendices:
A.  Peacemaking Curriculum Portfolio(s)
B.  Member Activities - Home/Workplace/Church/Community/State/Nation Setting
C.  Budget Plan for Peacemaking Programs-the public school
D. The Classroom as a Peacemaking Community

"Changes in the peacemaking curriculum of a public school are often in direct conflict with the changes taking place in the local community, thus creating highly complex and political situation."  (Todd, 1998).

Since there are different groups of human beings whose peacemaking activities are affected by the peacemaking curriculum at the school, there are political risks for these persons responsible for the development and implementation of the Adventure in Excellence.  These risks are as follows:

(1.) . . . .

(2.) . . . .

(3.) . . . .

 Appendix A