WHAT CRYSTAL FARM GRADUATES WILL HAVE

    • A broad, solid grounding of world based, liberal arts knowledge
    • The ability to approach and resolve conflict effectively, and with care for the safety of all involved
    • An understanding of the cause and effect of world history
    • The ability to conceive, plan, carry out and evaluate projects, individually and as a part of small and large groups
    • The ability to set cohesive day-to-day, long term and life goals and to self-evaluate and refine those goals
    • The ability to formulate and advocate powerfully for ideals, ideas and beliefs
    • The ability to bring those ideals, ideas and beliefs to a group and work constructively to develop positive consensus decisions
    • The skills to both lead and follow effectively
    • The basic technical skills necessary conduct research, to negotiate the web and to continue “distance learning” as a life-long exercise
    • The skills needed to succeed in the most demanding college and intellectual environment
    • The worldly survival skills essential to thrive in today’s society
    • An absolutely dy-no-mite ireme tenkan

We will graduate young people who are strong and compassionate,
who are powerful individuals and dynamic collaborators,
who have a solid intellectual grounding and a well spring of intuition,
who can succeed in today’s society but have the resources to bring about change,
who have the capacity and resources to be, to their fullest potential.

WHAT CRYSTAL FARM OFFERS YOU, AS A STUDENT

    A. An intellectually challenging college preparatory academic curriculum which
        1. on entrance , establishes your level of competency in all areas, and monitors your progress constantly
        2. is highly individualized, utilizing;
            a. self-paced programmed materials including “tech learning” computerized materials
            [The campus is fully “wireless” computerized and each student will receive a personal unit on enrollment]
            b. “distance learning” opportunities including collegiate and professional level courses
            c. well supervised independent and small group learning projects and classes
            d. an “ungraded” structure allowing you to participate at the level best suited to your individual needs
            e. a clear, specific set of “Graduation Requirements” presented to you on enrollment which defines;
                * exactly what you will have to achieve in order to be granted a Crystal Farm diploma
                * why each requirement is important to you and your future
                * how you can best satisfy each requirement
                * what the School will provide you in order to insure that you have every opportunity to succeed
                * your rights and responsibilities as a student and member of the Crystal Farm community, including how you can advocate for changes in the School.
    B. A high degree of personalized support and supervision from a dynamic, committed, highly qualified staff with
        1. a staff-to-student ratio of 1 to 5
        2. a staff mentor, with no staff person having more than a small number of advisees [4 to 7].
    C. An opportunity for you exercise a real role in the operation of the School to best learn and practice decision making, appropriate use of authority and acceptance of responsibility by;
        1. having a role in the development of school-wide and specific academic curricula, projects and programs
        2. participating in operational “task forces” covering every area of the School and its operations, such as hiring, admissions, planning, budget, physical plant, judicial, evaluation, etc.
        3. having an equal voice and “vote” on the “All School Meeting”, which has ultimate authority over the School
        4. learning highly effective conflict/collaboration strategies, ways to create “win-win” situations, and how to control conflict by blending with the opposition’s energy and seeking the path which ensures your survival and the safety of everyone.
    D. A rigorous physical regimen with twice daily Aikido practice and a wide variety of alternative physical activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, soccer, ultimate frisbee, weight training, boken, jo, etc.
    E. Highly personalized college placement utilizing the vast network of Aikidoka on every major college and university campus in the U.S., Europe and much of Asia.
    F. A family style residence with 6 to 9 students and a staff family per home.
    G. Great meals with a well balanced vegetarian diet and ample, healthy snacks available throughout the day.
    H. A year round academic schedule with the opportunity to take breaks and vacations at various times.
    I. The opportunity to challenge yourself, to push yourself to your absolute physical and intellectual limits, and beyond, and to have a prodigious amount of fun doing it.

Excerpted from GOAL I: Academic Program

We will create, maintain and continuously evolve an intellectually challenging, liberal arts, college preparatory program which fosters student’s competence, confidence, intellectual growth, knowledge base, and understanding of the interrelatedness of individuals and their place in the human condition and the Universal Truths. The emphasis will be on fostering each student’s creative intellect and ability to integrate a depth and range of learned materials independently and as part of a group. The basic principles of Aikido shall be utilized throughout all aspects of the curriculum and its application. Teaching methodologies, study skills, group projects and interactions will be configured to promote and amplify intellectual centering, individual growth, intellectual strength, sense of responsibility and strong, responsible, compassionate participation in the concentric ripples of groups and relationships of society and the Universe.

Our approach is to encourage and enable students to arrive at answers through their own group and individual research, investigation, creativity, and thought processes, and based on their individual learning styles, strengths and interests. The role of the “teacher” is to “enable”; by asking leading questions, providing motivation, giving a sense of direction, etc. The response to a student’s questions should be, “What a great question. Let’s research that.”

The curriculum will be integrated and interdisciplinary across all subject areas and will involve as many other components of the school as possible.

Students will be actively involved in planning curriculum through participation on subject specific and over-all curriculum planning Task Forces and the final review and approval of curriculum by All Community Meeting Subject areas will include, but not be limited to; language arts, math, science, social studies/history, foreign language, and career/life skills (to include basic financial management, health and sex ed, job finding/keeping/changing, test taking, etc.).

More than math or science, more even than American literature, courses in American history can tell Crystal Farm students how they, their parents, their communities, and their society came to be as they are.

In addition to small group/class and tutorials, academic programs will be highly individualized and self-paced utilizing programmed materials, internet computer programs, secondary and collegiate “distance learner” programs, etc..

Each student shall have an initial assessment done with in the first two weeks of enrollment to establish individual learning styles, capabilities and needs, as well as achieved levels in each curricular area based on standard and internally developed tests and staff appraisal.

When basic skill levels have been achieved in a curricular area, a student may develop their own direction of study or independent study proposal.

On enrollment, each student will be assigned a staff mentor. At any time, a student may ask to change their mentor. Staff will consistently monitor each student’s progress. Testing and other forms of assessment will be conducted frequently.

School wide projects will be conducted on an ongoing basis. Such projects will have sub-projects for each subject area as well as for smaller “focus groups” and individuals, all contributing back into the central, school-wide project/theme. Students will have primary responsibility for developing school wide and sub-projects.

The school will be “un-graded”. All projects will be structured so as to enable full participation by every student, making best use of their individual levels of ability, skill, knowledge and interests.
The school will be delineated into four divisions [Divs]. Div 1, 2,and 3 will have specific challenges a student must satisfy to progress to the next Div. Individual student progress will be demonstrated through the successful completion of a structured set of challenges defined in the “Graduation Requirements”.
Graduation Requirements will be a part of every student’s contract with the school and will be presented and explained to each student prior to enrollment. The Grad Reqs will lay out what the school expects from each student in order to graduate, and the reasons why it is expected, and what each student can expect from the school and how to insure that they get it.

In addition to beginning College placement activities, Div 4A will have a well documented individual graduation project.

Div 4B will consist of further college placement activities, individualized study, a stronger role in the operation of the organization, serving as big sister/brother to Div 1, and Assistant Instructor functions in academic, kinesthetic and other areas.

The school will function on a year round basis.
Students will have three [3 ½] years of more structured programs, individualized study and classes, with the fourth [final ½] year [Div 4] being committed as defined above. Individual students may accelerate their program with permission of, and under individualized conditions established by All-Staff consensus.