Consciousness, Connections, & Life Skills

CCLS

Deep Learning and Deep Growth

Discovering the Big Picture:

Our Pioneering Curriculum to Deepen Perspectives, Recognize Connections, and Know Yourself More Deeply

At the Maharishi School, we offer a transformative educational experience that integrates consciousness, connections, and essential life skills through our distinctive course: Consciousness, Connections, and Life Skills (CCLS). This comprehensive curriculum is designed to enhance students’ understanding of themselves and the world around them, aligning seamlessly with our commitment to Consciousness-Based Education.

Each academic year of CCLS focuses on distinct themes, allowing students to build their skills progressively.

Topics include:

  • Life Principles
  • Social Awareness
  • Qualities of Success
  • Creativity and Human Development
  • Exploring Knowledge

Instructional approaches evolve as students advance, with older grades engaging in Socratic discussions and younger grades participating in activity-based learning.

Ultimately, our pioneering CCLS curriculum aspires to inspire students to develop a growth mindset, a love for learning, and an appreciation for Transcendental Meditation as a lifelong beneficial practice. Through Deep Learning and Deep Growth, we prepare our graduates to navigate life with awareness, insight, and confidence.

Consciousness

Students explore the depths of consciousness through both intellectual and experiential lenses. They engage with the theories and possibilities of consciousness while practicing Transcendental Meditation—a pivotal aspect of our curriculum. This regular practice acts as a “lab,” providing students with a direct experience of their inner consciousness, spurring personal growth and enhancing alertness, readiness to learn, and overall fulfillment.

Connections

CCLS encourages students to recognize the interconnectedness of knowledge across various subjects. By learning profound life principles, students discover how concepts in different domains relate to one another and to their own lives. This holistic approach fosters a deeper understanding of universal principles, making education more relevant and meaningful, while promoting a sense of purpose and fulfillment in learning.

Life Skills

We emphasize the importance of a growth mindset and teach crucial social and emotional competencies aligned with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). This includes developing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Our curriculum also integrates critical thinking and media literacy, equipping students with the tools to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.

CCLS

Comprehensive Health

Comprehensive Health curriculum: We use the K-12 curriculum from Advocates for Youth called Rights, Respect, and Responsibility. This curriculum includes age-appropriate lessons that cover a wide range of health areas, including relationships and consent, STDs and contraception, dating abuse, etc.

Positive Discipline is designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful, and resourceful members of their communities. Our overall goal for positive discipline is to culture mutual respect between peers and adults, and to make sure all children are heard, respected, and intrinsically motivated.

  • In Middle School, communication skills and conflict resolution are the main focus.
  • In the Upper School, many aspects of Positive Discipline (such as effective communication and problem-solving skills) are covered in the SEL curriculum and practiced in the classroom. The upper school also utilizes Restorative Justice talking circles and practices, which are much in line with Positive Discipline.

CCLS

Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning curriculum in our Upper School consists of 5 main competencies as formulated by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Self Awareness

Self-Awareness: the ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior.

Self Management

Self-Management: the ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.

Social Awareness

Social Awareness: the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Relationship Skills

Relationship Skills: the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.

Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible Decision-Making: the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.