Under the direction of Sandra Wasko-Flood, children create a colorful floor labyrinth.

Taking the labyrinth experience to school children

In November of 2002, the executive committee of The Labyrinth Society accepted a proposal to set up email communication among TLS members who are interested in taking the labyrinth experience to school children. This group has gotten very active and there are now more than 50 members who are sharing experiences, information about activities, and ideas about using the labyrinth in school settings.

Information has come from members working with pre-school through high school students. School labyrinths have been painted or created from stones and themes have included peace, conflict resolution and a commemoration of September 11.

Any TLS member interested in joining this email group should contact Marge McCarthy.

Below are brief project descriptions and email addresses of members of this group who can be contacted individually for information:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
We have built labyrinths at eight elementary schools. Staff and students were introduced to the labyrinth with slides, timeline, world map and discussion. Benefits have included calming, improved creativity, conflict resolution, problem solving, dealing with loss and fun! Visit the Labyrinth Resource Group website for information with school manuals. For more info contact Marge McCarthy.

LARGE GROUP EVENT:
Each year at Earth Day on the California State University, Sacramento Campus, thousands of children encounter the labyrinth. I will be glad to share information on managing large numbers of walkers and also on exhibit & educational information & experiential art like music, ceremonial flags & labyrinth rubbings. For more info contact Sue Anne Foster.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/ART PROJECT:
I am an artist and coordinated a Finger Labyrinth project for an art enrichment program in elementary schools in the South Bay of Los Angeles. The labyrinths were made out of air-drying clay and painted. The lower grades made spiraling designs - snails, hearts, waves, etc. The upper grades learned how to create a Cretan Labyrinth using the seed pattern. This project informed 4,000 children about the labyrinth. For more info contact Annemarie Rawlinson.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
I am a teacher at Lower Southampton Elementary School in Feasterville, PA. I orchestrated a Peace Week in the fall of 2002 that featured my "Peace Maze." This seven-circuit labyrinth was painted on the playground and displayed the language of conflict resolution at each turn. Plans underway to duplicate the labyrinth in all of the elementary schools in the district. For more info contact Connie Fenty and visit the Your Nature Connection website.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Here at Ispiritual Labyrinths we worked with one 2nd/3rd grade teacher, by furnishing a classroom set of finger labyrinths. Her students sent us letters on what the labyrinth meant to them. Although this wasn't an official study it's a start at reaching children with the labyrinth. For more info contact Rita Caroni and visit the iSpiritual website.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/ART PROJECT:
Through the Washington Performing Arts Society, I introduced labyrinths to elementary school students. Children use finger labyrinths, walk a canvas “Rainbow Labyrinth,” use drums, and make “Walking Rules.” They pattern multi-media designs in “Labyrinth Books,” and together paint a 12' concentric labyrinth, writing and walking peace wishes. For more info contact Sandra Wasko-Flood and visit the Labyrinth Lights website.

SCHOOLS/TEEN CENTERS/MUSEUMS:
I have worked with schools, a teen center, and museum building labyrinths and assisting students, parents and staff members in discovering this rich symbol. I use history, art and experience to bring the labyrinth to others. For more info contact Lea Goode-Harris, Ph.D and visit the Santa Rosa Labyrinth Foundation website.

AGES 3-18, CHRISTIAN ORIENTATION:
Christian Labyrinth services for children and youth ages 3-18 including scheduling, setup, explanation, walk facilitation and art response. We have coordinated experiential, multimedia discovery events for over twenty schools on the Gulf Coast. Art response venues include journaling, sculpting, murals and sand and finger labyrinths. For more info contact Heidi Zech and visit the Learning Facilitators, Inc. website.

I have worked in culturally and educationally challenged environments using single- and double-labyrinth exercises to help children touch their creative sides. I also instruct adults and teachers on how to access their imaginations in addition to advocating the placement of walkable labyrinth on playgrounds for recess play. For more information, contact Virginia LoneSky or visit the Peaceful Endeavours website.

Kindergarten through Adult: I have had the extraordinary opportunity to present the labyrinth in a variety of schools in Las Vegas -- a Muslim school, a high-risk adult school, private and parochial schools and inner-city schools. I would be happy to discuss my presentation, the interesting teacher/student reactions and the resulting long-term labyrinth activities. For this and information on how to take your labyrinth program into schools contact Gael Hancock.

Photos by Ruth Streeter, Arlington, VA