Kimberly Paquette

Pathways to Peace: Lessons to Inspire Peace in the Early Childhood Classroom Kimberly Paquette

The desire for peace is universal.

Peace education can provide children with the tools necessary to deal with change and adversity throughout their lives. In today's fast-paced, technology-rich world, it can be tempting to join the race and work to an end result at breakneck speeds. However, without slowing down and showing children what the world has to offer, children will not know the beauty the world holds, that which is worth protecting, nor will they be inclined to see the beauty and spirit of those around them. Peace education can be a lesson in the art of simplicity. It can also be a lesson in turning inward to find calm in the midst of chaos. Peace education, when presented in a well thought-out manner, can inspire children to be the future peacemakers of our world and ultimately lead this future generation toward the development of a peaceful planet.

Humankind has been working for and promoting peace since the beginning of history, and during this time many have agreed that the most effective and promising way to promote peace in the world is to begin with a child. In Pathways to Peace, author Kimberly Paquette presents a peace-based curriculum to provide children with the tools to construct and build a peaceful tomorrow through exposure to peaceful symbols, practices, and language.

Combining Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory and Montessori education, Pathways to Peace promotes peace and its practice in the classroom. Geared for three- to six-year-old students, this guide includes both theory and a curriculum where teachers can incorporate peace in all aspects of the classroom. The guide encompasses lessons for each of the multiple intelligences and can be adapted for use in schools, religious education programs, after-school programs, summer camps, and other areas.

Pathways to Peace presents a curriculum to allow peace to manifest itself in the hearts of children, who are the earth's salvation. The mission of peace education is to show children the path that would lead the world toward true peace.