Education through Rock Art: an Experience in Empathy
One of the significant challenges in education today is engaging children with opportunities to think critically and to creatively express their ideas. Piloted in Tennessee and Oklahoma, our first rock art activity hit the mark. Kids discovered how symbols can convey multifaceted meanings, capturing events and knowledge, cultural beliefs and stories, and individual self-expression. They reflected on their own identifies and stories, comparing themselves with those original artists, then created unique artwork that demonstrated their understanding of the purpose and power of iconography today. On top of that, they had fun! Over a year has passed, and they’re still talking about their experiences. This kind of lasting impact is precisely what we aim to achieve in education—lessons that inspire new perspectives, a deeper understanding of the world, and greater self-awareness. To build on this success, we’re moving forward with the process of developing four additional activities, each designed to be...