Books published about
The Learning Community Experience
Welcome to the online version of
the books that our students and teacher have written and published about our process
of holistic education. Link to the chapters or excerpts of the books that follow. Discover
how schools can prepare the learner for the future while playing an important role in
transforming the learner's life in deep and significant ways.
 a journey
to the heart: Capturing the Spirit of Global Education ©
a compilation of essays by The Learning Community
"We were able to embrace and be embraced by people
of another culture -- physically, emotionally, culturally, and spiritually. In the
process, we were able to feel the deep connection of the human spirit. Our connections
transcended the boundaries between people, cultures, races, and hemispheres. We had set
upon a path to Kenya and, ultimately, took a journey that led back to our own
hearts."
a journey to the Heart, page 113
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a journey to the heart captures the personal experiences of twenty-one
Learning Community students, their teacher, and two parents who created an incredible
adventure while traveling through East Africa. The purpose of their experience was to have
first-hand interactions with people of another culture, to investigate development in a
Third World country, and to find grass-roots service projects to fund. This was done
during the school year and was part of our curriculum. It was the first of two such trips
to Africa by The Learning Community.
Each Writes of
Passage ©
a collaboration by Gary Bacon and The Learning Community
"We were asked to imagine ourselves living in the
world fifty years from now. I saw myself sitting on a mountain top reflecting on a life
well-spent. I remember when I decided to direct my life toward creating a better world. My
life was transformed. Suddenly the way that I got to my destination and my experience
along the way became more important to me. Getting somewhere in a hurry or spending the
journey distracted by my racing thoughts or the radio no longer felt satisfying. I gave up
my car for the fresh air of a bike ride or a walk to work or the smile and conversation of
a stranger on the train.
Each Writes of Passage, page 177
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You are invited to experience a blend of nine personal stories written by
our students. These stories are representative of today's youth culture and illustrate
powerful responses to the challenges of contemporary society -- true stories about rape,
prejudice, depression, drugs, illegal immigration, poverty and environmental degradation.
Accompany these teenagers as they respond to their issues with tolerance, support,
responsibility, commitment, and love.
Each path that these young people have chosen leads to our classroom in
which they spend half of their school day co-creating a powerful transformative
experience. The experience is not a preparation for life -- it is life. These students
have responded to an invitation to become better human beings, to work cooperatively, to
inquire and question, and to help create a healthier world.
Each of these young people has a unique gift. Each is challenged by the
circumstances of life. Each is transformed by the experience to a higher level of
participation in life. Each writes of passage into adulthood.
In order to read the chapters of Each Writes of Passage, you
will need to download a copy of Adobe Acrobat.
Acrobat can be obtained free from Adobe Systems.
ESSENTIAL
EDUCATION: Drawing Forth the Golden Child ©
by Gary Bacon, Ph.D.
"Creating events that have potential for essence
level meaning is not always easy. Every every experience that a teacher sets up that is
devoid of meaning for the learner creates separation in the learner. It separates the
learners from their experience, life becomes objectified, and the learner becomes
alienated from the very life system in which they are a vital part."
Essential Education, page 208
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Table of Contents:
I. In the Primordial Forest
II. The Dream Vision
III. The Spirit of Initiation
IV. Personal Awakening and Integration
V. Group Awareness and Integration
VI. Co-creating a Learning Community
VII. Toward a Global Consciousness
VIII.The Quest for Transformation
IX. Standing on the Threshold of a New Dream
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Essential Education characterizes the early Learning Community experience.
This 285 page book presents a blend of educational theory, anecdotal experiences, and
personal insights that influenced the development of the program and affected the lives of
its students. Gary Bacon, who created the program in collaboration with a group students,
parents, and other teachers in the 1970s, adapted this book from his doctoral dissertation
in Transpersonal Psychology in 1982. The book is about love -- about bringing dreams into
reality, learning with kids, eliminating barriers to joy, and exploring mystery as
fundamentals of education.
Essential Education will be made available on this site upon
request (see e-mail address listed below).
These books can be obtained in printed form from The Learning
Community. Profits from the book are used to support service projects and other creative
projects sponsored by The Learning Community. Inquire by e-mail or call (650) 321-7458 for details on
purchasing these books.
All rights reserved.
© These books are copyrighted by Rainbow Bridge Publishing.
No part of these books may be reproducted or transmitted without written
permission.
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